Love is Immortal
by Guineapigs1
Summary: AU: Kuon and Kyoko are immortals of the heavens. The Crown Princess Kyoko and King of the Fairy Kingdom Kuon are truly meant to be. Their love triumphs over all adversities they face in this legendary love story based off of the Chinese drama Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms.
1. Chapter 1

**So I recently watched the Chinese drama "Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms" and I fell in love with it. It's an amazing series, and I really wanted to make a fanfic of it using Skip Beat! characters since when I thought about it, so many ideas flowed through my brain and everything clicked into place. I will not follow the Chinese drama exactly, but the basic storyline and universe will be pretty similar. This will probably be a long fanfic, so I hope you will stick with me through the ride!**

 **I do not own Skip Beat! or Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms.**

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this, Kuon? Your parents wanted me to take you to train here so you would stop causing reckless fights by learning some discipline, but I can take you back if you want me to," Lory asked as the pair stood in front of the gates to Goraku Mountain.

"I'm sure. I want to become a well-admired fighter just like my dad, and this is the best way for me to accomplish that goal. Let's go," Kuon responded as the pair opened the gates and entered Goraku Mountain. Once they entered, they approached a large temple where the master's disciples were standing guard. Kuon and Lory were immediately led to the master of the mountain, Rick, when the disciples recognized who had come to visit. Rick sat on his knees atop a raised platform, and everyone bowed to him as they entered the room or exited the room.

"Ah. Takarada-san and Hizuri-san. What brings you two here today?" Rick asked.

"High God Rick, I came from afar to seek you and ask for you to take me on as a disciple," Kuon bowed respectfully.

"Is there a reason why you have come seeking me specifically?" Rick asked.

"High God Rick is revered in all the kingdoms for his fame and fighting skills. I wish to become your disciple to learn best how to protect my kingdom," Kuon replied. Rick looked at the young boy in front of him. He couldn't be more than 25,000 years old, and his blonde hair was messed around to make him look like a mischievous youth. It reminded Rick of himself before he had cleaned up his act and trained to become a high immortal. Everyone had been impressed at his hard work and dedication towards his goals, and he had never been defeated in a fight before.

"Why do you expect me to take another disciple on? Why do you want to train with me?"

"I want to learn under the best to surpass my father in his fighting skill and protect the Heavens," Kuon replied steadfast. Rick took another look at the young boy and smiled. He saw himself in this boy, a troubles youth who only needed some guidance to get back on the right track.

"I guess I can take on a chicken like you and make you into a son worthy of the Hizuri name," Rick chuckled.

…

Kuon studied under Rick for thousands of years, becoming one of the best disciples he ever had. Rick grew to care deeply for the boy and was glad that Kuon had finally learnt how to stand up for himself in the right way rather than getting in pointless fights. The boy had also learnt to get over his fears and be less of a "chicken" as Rick liked to say. Kuon had been quick to absorb all the knowledge that Rick could give him, and he was skilled in everything. Well everything except cooking for the mountain's disciples. After the first time when he had cooked and almost made the kitchen explode, he was forbidden from ever going there again.

Rick was extremely protective of the boy, so he didn't want Kuon to be in any danger. Soon came the time of Kuon's heavenly trial to ascend to the rank of high god, and Rick watched in horror as Kuon endured three strikes of heavenly lightning at the young age of 28,000. Kuon had had to recuperate for hundreds of years after that, and Rick would be damned if he would ever let Kuon get into any danger like that again. He knew that it was required of deities to take on heavenly trials to ascend in the ranks of immortals, but he would be devastated if Kuon was killed by his heavenly trial.

Less than 20,000 years after Kuon's heavenly trial however, a new threat warranted Goraku Mountain's attention. The Ghost Kingdom headed by King Reino was planning to revolt against Heaven's alliance. They had already devastated the Star Kingdom and were planning on heading to the Sky Kingdom to steal the throne from Heavenly Empress Mogami Saena.

Goraku Mountain volunteered its warriors to fight against the Ghost Kingdom, but Rick wouldn't allow Kuon to fight at the frontline. Kuon was angry at Rick, thinking that this was Rick's way of saying Kuon wasn't good enough, and he decided to defy Rick's orders and go to the frontline. There, he ended up cornered by King Reino himself, and the two fought it out to the death with Kuon surprisingly ending up victorious. As Kuon went to chain Reino up however, he didn't see Reino's last attack behind his back and only felt as Rick's body landed on his as Reino's poisonous sword struck him. Kuon couldn't believe what had happened. He had been so stupid as to think Reino was out of energy to fight anymore, and he had let his mentor take a lethal hit in place of him. Kuon couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. Rick had taken him out of the pit of despair he had been in when he had first arrived at Goraku Mountain only dreaming to surpass his father. He didn't even notice when Rick's fiance, Tina, took his body off of Kuon's and sobbed with it in her arms. He only captured her words as she clung onto her fiance's body. She called him a murderer, and he knew she was right. It was his fault that Rick was dead, and he didn't deserve to live a happy life when he took away his mentor's. Kuon made a vow that day to never let Rick forgive him for murdering him, and he didn't deserve happiness. Meanwhile, Reino was laughing maniacally even as he was chained up and carted away to the Far Ocean where he would be locked up for eternity.

After Rick died, Goraku Mountain lost its leader and the disciples all scattered and closed Goraku Mountain off for further training. Kuon went back to the Fairy Kingdom, unable to function after Rick's death. It wasn't until his parents spoke of his coronation that he finally was woken up from his nightmare and vowed to work diligently to become a leader that would protect his people. At the age of 60,000 years old, Kuon had studied almost every single day to become a great leader that he was ready for his coronation.

As Kuon began to get dressed in the ceremonial garb for his coronation, his parents entered. They didn't want to disturb him while he was changing, so they didn't announce their presence as they entered. As soon as he was dressed, he went out to greet them.

"Hey Mom and Dad," Kuon said. He felt confused as he realized they were both avoiding making eye contact with him.

"What's wrong?" Kuon asked, worried that he wasn't ready to take the throne that day, and his parents just didn't know how to break the news to him.

"What are you talking about, honey?" Julie asked back, trying to act like everything was fine by smiling a fake smile at him.

"Is there something wrong with my coronation?" Kuon asked again, knowing that Julie had avoided the question. He watched as his parents gave each other a knowing look, still confused as to what they were acting so weird about. Julie then nodded to Kuu.

"I'm sorry, son, but we couldn't prevent this," Kuu started.

"What are you talking about?"

"We arranged a marriage between you and that high immortal Kotonami Kanae of the Sky Kingdom. We're so sorry, Kuon!" Julie wailed as she collapsed to the floor in a bow.

"An arranged marriage?" Kuon asked, not sure if he heard them correctly.

"We're sorry we didn't even ask you before making the arrangement, but the Heavenly Empress asked us specifically, and we couldn't turn her down!" Kuu added.

"Mom, Dad, I get it. I don't blame you," Kuon said as he tried to comfort his mom by rubbing her shoulder in support.

"What? Aren't you mad? You aren't going to be marrying for love!" Julie looked up at him with teary eyes.

"I had already accepted that it might happen, Mom. I knew as the prince of the Fairy Kingdom that you might have to arrange a marriage for me," Kuon explained.

"But son, at least your mother and I had the chance to choose each other. We had fallen in love at that one ball at the Heavenly Empress's palace, and we had chosen each other before our parents could arrange marriages for us. You aren't even going to have a choice! You've never even met the girl! We shouldn't have engaged you two just for the sake of unity between our two tribes!" Kuu replied.

"Don't worry, Dad. It's fine with me. It's not like I deserve happiness after I took away the happiness from Rick and Tina. An arranged marriage will be fine," Kuon's eyes glazed over as the pain from Rick's death overwhelmed him again. Kuu and Julie looked worriedly at each other as Kuon rose again.

"I accept the engagement as the future king of the Fairy Kingdom," Kuon looked ahead, determined that he would sacrifice anything for his kingdom, even his own happiness. Kuu and Julie were left to watch Kuon's retreating form as he made his way to the coronation platform in front of the entire kingdom.

* * *

 **I know, it's kind of a short chapter, but I just needed to start on writing this fanfic because the ideas needed to escape. I hope that things make sense, but if they don't I would be willing to explain anything you guys need me to in the next chapter.**

 **Thank you for clicking on this story, and if you could leave me a review saying how I did, I would really appreciate it :).**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm sorry for the long wait for this chapter, but I wanted to make sure I kept my focus on finishing _Timeless Affections_ before getting too into this new fic. Since I've finished that fic, hopefully I can update this one more often. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

 _After the battle against the Ghost Kingdom where Rick had sacrificed himself to protect his favorite disciple, Kuon walked into the garden at Goraku Mountain. He felt himself instantly become more at ease as he stepped into the garden. He had always had an affinity for nature, and seeing the flowers in bloom and the lotuses in Rick's private pond let him forget his troubles if only for a few moments. His favorite golden lotus in particular acted as a sort of confidant for Kuon who would voice his troubles to the golden lotus. It would never reply back, but Kuon still felt comfort in talking to it._

 _Little did he know that the lotus in fact had a soul trapped inside who had gotten to know Kuon very well from all of the times that he vented his troubles to her. She didn't have a corporal form yet, but her spirit had the appearance of a teenage girl with beaming golden eyes and silky black hair._

 _Kuon walked up to the side of the lotus pond where he knew the beautiful golden lotus floated, but he felt his heart drop when he saw that the lotus had withered. The girl in the lotus ran over to his side immediately as she saw the broken look in his eyes._

 _Kuon felt his world shattering. First Rick and now this golden lotus? Kuon started to feel like he killed everything that he cared about. This had been Rick's favorite lotus as well, and now it was dying just like him._

 _Picking the lotus up, Kuon ran towards the communal hall of the mountain and met with a fellow disciple, Kijima._

 _"I'm so sorry for everything," Kuon said as he dropped the lotus into Kijima's hands and took off on a run out of the mountain. The girl tried to run after him, but she couldn't leave the confines of Goraku Mountain. Her spirit was linked with the lotus, and the lotus couldn't leave Goraku Mountain._

 _"I'm sorry, Kuon, but it looks like I won't be able to stay by your side any longer. I won't remember you once I'm reborn," the girl said as she felt her soul being dragged to the communal hall of the mountain. She had always dreamed of gaining a human form, but now she regretted not being able to stay with Kuon in his time of distress. She looked at her hands and gasped as they started to glow gold. She began to be drawn towards her new fate, leaving behind only a cool gust of wind._

 _Kijima looked at the lotus in his hands in confusion and rushed to see the senior disciple to see if he would know what to do. When Kijima found the senior disciple of Rick, he saw him with an older lady but immediately rushed up to him despite the rudeness that he would be showing to the guest by interrupting them._

 _"Senior disciple! Master's favorite lotus has withered! Kuon-san suddenly gave it to me then ran out of Goraku Mountain!" Kijima exclaimed. He watched as the lady turned around and felt himself freeze and drop into a dogeza as he realized who he had just disrespected._

 _"My deepest apologies, Empress Mogami! I had no idea that it was you with senior disciple," Kijima bowed. Saena scoffed at him and stared at the lotus._

 _"Please forgive him, Empress Mogami. He was just emotional since Master Rick's favorite lotus withered and our youngest disciple has gone missing. I apologize for the commotion," the senior disciple bowed as well._

 _Saena looked at the lotus quizzically and unconsciously reached her hand out to touch it. When she did, beams of light erupted from it and encircled around her. Her eyes widened in surprise until the rays finally died out._

 _"There's no need to panic, Empress Mogami. Master Rick always said that he was only keeping watch over the lotus until it could find its master. I think you're the master it's been looking for," the senior disciple said._

 _…_

 _Only a few years after her visit to Goraku Mountain, Saena began to complain of stomach pain and her middle section began to grow. She had become pregnant from touching the lotus, and in due time she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. The flowers around the Heavenly Palace blossomed instantly and exotic birds chirped sweet songs, marking the miraculous birth of Mogami Kyoko. Rays of sunshine bloomed from the building where Saena had given birth. Everyone in the Sky Palace congratulated her on her daughter's birth and hoped that her daughter would be capable of being the heir to the throne of Heavenly Empress when she grew up._

 _Unfortunately, Saena was unbelievably strict to her daughter as she grew up. Kyoko was always subjected to her intense studies by Saena. Thus, she became the youngest immortal ever to reach the status of high immortal at a mere 20,000 years old by withstanding 5 bolts of heavenly lightning. She was nicknamed the Crown Princess since everyone was sure that she would inherit the throne of Heavenly Empress when she grew up. Those who didn't know her thought she was a perfectionist like her mother and lacked human emotions because of Saena's cold discipline techniques. But in reality, Kyoko had locked her emotions in a box inside herself that she only opened when with her friends whom she cared about. She vowed to never open it in front of her mother, lest her mother scold her for letting her emotions rule her actions._

 _When Kyoko was able to take a break from studying, she liked to spend time with princesses Kotonami Kanae and Amamiya Chiori who were also part of the Sky Kingdom. She loved hanging out with her friends, but her mother would scold her whenever she was caught with them instead of spending every second on her studies. This led to her decreased visits with the girls who she could no longer visit unless she snuck out of the palace._

 _As a curious child, Kyoko would frequently sneak off to take breaks and play with her friends, but she couldn't sneak out of the palace to play with Kanae and Chiori anymore. This led to her need for a new playmate, and one day she found a new friend in Fuwa Sho, the prince of the recently destroyed Star Tribe who had been blessed to be adopted into the Sky Kingdom. His whole tribe had been killed when the Ghost Kingdom had tried to attack them to overthrow the Sky Kingdom. He had been accepted into the Sky Kingdom as a prince and was raised by the maids there since his tribe had fought so valiantly to protect the Heavens._

 _Sho had learned of Kyoko's true nature after playing with her a couple times, and he began to fall in love with her innocence and her beauty. Few had been blessed to see the Crown Princess in person, and Sho couldn't help but be attracted to her. He wanted to be with her, and he would do anything to make his dreams come true._

 _He knew that Saena admired him since he was able to control Kyoko so easily. The Heavenly Empress learned of Kyoko's attempts at escaping her studies after a few visits to Sho's adoptive family, but she also knew that Kyoko would do anything he said. She struck a deal with Sho, and he frequently relayed Saena's orders to Kyoko who would happily oblige to do whatever he said. Whether it was finishing her studies in lightning speed or making contacts with the heads of the alliance of the Heavens, Kyoko would always do what Sho said. He eventually even began to exploit her kindness, making her do some of his chores even when she was burned out from studying. He knew that one day he would be able to make his dreams come true and permanently take Kyoko as his, he just had to bide his time until then. Sho knew that they were perfect for each other, and he knew that he would one day marry her. And nothing would stand in his way._

…

One day when Kyoko had finally gotten permission to visit her friends Kanae and Chiori after her intense studying of Buddhist principles for so many thousands of years, she visited a theater in the mortal realm with them to catch up with them.

"Mo! I've been engaged to that Hizuri Kuon for thousands of years already, but Hiou-kun and I had been secretly dating since before my parents made that engagement! They only just recently decided to tell me about the engagement, and then they got mad at me when I told them that I'd been dating Hiou-kun for so long! They said that they only wanted my happiness, but that it was impossible to cancel the marriage," Kanae ranted.

"I have an arranged marriage too now. My parents arranged my engagement to a prince of the Water Kingdom, but I've met with him a few times, and I think that I might be falling for him," Chiori blushed.

"I can't believe how much you two have changed these past few thousands of years! I thought that we had all given up on love?" Kyoko sighed dejectedly. The girls had been vehemently against love the last time they had met, but it seemed like things had changed recently for Kanae and Chiori. Kyoko had always known she would be married off to some random prince to boost relations between the Sky Kingdom and its allies, so she had never entertained the idea of falling in love with a guy. Kyoko had no opportunity to meet any guys anyways. Her only guy friend was Sho, but she thought of him as more of a brother.

"Come on, Kyoko! You deserve happiness too! Why do you always have to obey your mother?" Chiori asked.

"I have a duty as the Crown Princess to keep up with my studies. Mother is strict with me, but she's only strict since she's training me to be her successor," Kyoko replied.

"Mo! You deserve a chance to fall in love for real. You don't have to be as perfect as your mother wants you to be. I was stuck in your circumstances too, but I found Hiou-kun, and we're going to ask your mother to revoke the engagement between me and the Fairy Tribe tomorrow since that's the only way that we can be together. There has to be another way to bridge relations between the Sky Kingdom and Fairy Kingdom without me being married to Hizuri Kuon," Kanae said.

"I wish you the best, Moko-san, but I'm not sure if my mother will accept it," Kyoko replied, shivering in anticipation as she imagined the sharp glare that Kanae would receive from Saena for even asking such a thing.

"Well you at least will be there to support me, right?" Kanae asked.

"Of course, Moko-san!" Kyoko smiled, but inside she was worried about what would happen to Kanae and Hiou when faced with Saena's wrath. She wanted her best friend to be happy, but she knew her mother had little chance of accepting Kanae's request.

* * *

 **Thank you for the reviews on last chapter! It's nice to see some interest in this story at its early stage right now! I hope you liked this chapter, and I'll see you guys soon for the next one!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for all the reviews last chapter! I'm excited to share this story with you guys! Since I got so many reviews last chapter about how excited you guys were to read my new story, I wrote this chapter pretty quickly so that I could update with a new chapter quicker than last time. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

The next day, Kanae and Hiou visited the Sky Palace and requested to meet with Saena. As they were guided to the throne room, Kanae shot a nervous smile towards Kyoko who stood next to Saena with a stoic expression on. She would always act the part of respectable princess whenever in her mother's presence. There were few people in the hall, except for Saena, Kyoko, some guards, and Sho who stood off to the side.

"What have you come to ask me for, Kotonami-san?" Saena asked with a slight frown at the sudden intrusion.

Kanae and Hiou bowed in front of Saena. "We are here to request that you sever the engagement between Kotonami Kanae and Hizuri Kuon," Hiou said. Saena frowned.

"That cannot be done. The Sky Kingdom owes the Fairy Kingdom a debt for their help in the war against the Ghost Kingdom. Absolutely not," Saena replied.

"Please hear us out, Mogami-san-" Kanae began but stopped as Kyoko stood up and bowed to her mother.

"Mother, I'm sure that the Sky Kingdom can promise another princess to the Fairy Kingdom instead of Kotonami Kanae to show our gratitude," Kyoko said. Saena frowned at her. This was one of the first times in a while where Kyoko had spoken up in front of Saena, and she wasn't pleased about it. She thought that Kyoko had been taught better than that on how to be obedient to her mother.

"Kotonami-san is the most sought after princess in the Sky Kingdom after you, the Crown Princess herself. So unless you would like to take her place, don't meddle in this! How would the Fairy Kingdom react if she were to break off the engagement and we give them a second-rate princess instead?! They would be humiliated!" Saena scowled. Kyoko looked sympathetically at Kanae and Hiou before knitting her eyebrows in determination and making a split second decision.

"Then I will take her place."

Saena looked bewildered between her daughter and the couple before scowling.

"Why would you want to take her place?"

"It's just another person sleeping next to me on my bed. Kotonami-san and Uesegi-san seem bent on staying together, and my engagement to Hizuri-san won't anger the Fairy Kingdom in any way. Kotonami-san and Hizuri-san haven't ever met before, nor do they have any feelings for each other. Now that Kotonami-san has someone she loves, she is unworthy of Hizuri-san. If we were to continue with this present marriage agreement, then I'm afraid it would be unfair to the Fairy Kingdom. However, if I was the one in the marriage agreement, it would show the Sky Kingdom's overwhelming thankfulness for the Fairy Kingdom's help even more than a marriage with Kotonami-san would. I'm the Crown Princess after all, and Hizuri-san's marriage to me will make him the emperor."

Kanae wanted to scream at Kyoko. She had just told the girl earlier to take her future into her own hands and believe in love, but she had just doomed herself by taking Kanae's marriage agreement!

Saena frowned at Kyoko's explanation then turned to a guard and asked if any representatives of the Fairy Kingdom were close to the palace. After a short wait, Takarada Lory and Hizuri Kuu showed up in the hall. Kuu was the retired king of the Fairy Kingdom while Lory was a close family friend who was one of the most highly respected gods in the Heavens. He wasn't that involved in political affairs, but he would break that trend when it came to the Hizuris.

"As you may have heard, Takarada-san and Hizuri-san, there has been a request made for me to change the marriage agreement between your king and Kotonami-san since she's been captivated by Uesegi Hiou. The Sky Kingdom wants to change our deal with the Fairy Kingdom and instead arrange a marriage between my daughter and your king," Saena explained. Kuu and Lory looked at each other wordlessly, but they both knew what the other was thinking. Earlier they had been talking about cancelling the marriage agreement since Kuon didn't seem interested in it, but an engagement to the Crown Princess was huge. It would essentially make Kuon the future Heavenly Emperor. Lory leaned over to Kuu and whispered, "Kuon was never satisfied with the marriage to Kotonami-san. If he's unsatisfied again, we can cancel this engagement as well." Kuu paused for a moment before nodding and addressing the Empress.

"We think this is a fair idea."

"Kyoko, step up to receive my verdict," Saena commanded. Kyoko obediently walked over to the front of her mother's throne and bowed.

"I am bestowing this marriage arrangement upon you today. After your marriage to Hizuri Kuon, he will become the Heavenly Emperor alongside you."

"I accept your command," Kyoko bowed.

Sho looked horrified at Saena's words. He had always believed that Kyoko would be his! She couldn't just marry some random prince from some random kingdom!

"Since my daughter has offered to take your place, Kotonami-san, I will break off your engagement with Hizuri Kuon; however, I am demoting you to be a queen of the Eastern Seas as punishment for going against your previous marriage agreement by falling in love with Uesegi-san," Saena declared. Hiou and Kanae both bowed to her politely, but Hiou restrained Kanae as she attempted to approach Kyoko.

"I need to tell her she's being an idiot!" Kanae whispered to Hiou as he held firmly onto her arm to prevent her from approaching Kyoko.

"You can't approach her here! The Heavenly Empress would punish you even more harshly than she is now for not realizing your place!" Hiou whispered back as he pulled Kanae out of the throne room. Once the couple had exited from the Sky Palace, Kanae let her anger show on her face at what had just happened. She couldn't believe what Kyoko had done! Did she even know that Kuon was 90,000 years older than her?! How could she have agreed to marry him just like that?!

…

For a few hundred years, Kuon had been having strange dreams where Reino had kept taunting him about being the cause of Rick's death. These kinds of dreams weren't uncommon for him, but they had always involved some version of himself or Rick telling him how he was a murderer. This was the first time in thousands of years after Rick's death that he had had this type of dream, and what was even more bizarre was how it was the first time Reino had taunted him in his dream. Thus, Kuon felt a need to check on Reino in the Far Ocean and was glad he did. It had been almost 70,000 years since the fight against the Ghost Kingdom, but the memories of that battle came flooding back as Kuon stepped in front of Reino's prison.

Reino had been imprisoned in a magical cave off the shore of the Far Ocean, and Kuon froze as he saw that the magical barrier in the front of the cave had multiple cracks in it. Kuon rushed inside the cave to meet face to face with a cackling Reino who was chained up to a rock with the strongest chains in existence and completely frozen in ice all the way up to his head. Kuon felt fury build up inside of him as he saw the man who had killed Rick and started to use a freezing spell to freeze the ice over Reino's head. Reino was supposed to be completely encased in ice, but it seemed like part of the ice had melted. He wasn't sure why the ice had melted, but he was glad when Reino stopped cackling and was frozen back in place. Kuon made to exit the cave since his work was done, but he was pulled back in by a mysterious force. As he turned to look at Reino, he watched as Reino began to move freely inside the ice and started laughing maniacally again. Kuon tried to raise his hand to use his freezing spell again but was shocked when he found he couldn't move. Reino cackled again and Kuon fell unconscious as Reino cast a green beam towards him, knocking him out.

"You dare to imprison me again, Kuon? For that, you'll pay! It's been 70,000 years, and I _will_ rise again!" Reino grinned as he flicked his hand, changing Kuon's hair color from its golden tresses to a dark brown and his emerald eyes to a chocolate brown. With another flick of his wrist, he stripped Kuon of his powers and made him a mortal. It had been 70,000 years, so in that time Reino had been crafting the ultimate spells to eventually break free. He grinned in delight as his first ultimate spell had worked.

"I'll take joy in watching you live a sad life as a mortal with no memories of who you are and no memories of your loved ones," Reino grinned as he flicked his hand again, sending Kuon's now mortal body to a small dingy hut in the mortal realm.

…

When Kuon woke up, he looked unfamiliarly around his surroundings. He had been lying in the dirt for who knows how long, and he had no idea where he was. Also, he couldn't even remember anything no matter how hard he tried! Not even his own name!

Kuon rose off the ground to explore the hut he had landed in front of. He coughed as he opened the door and was greeted with a house full of dust. He put his sleeve over his nose and ventured deeper into the hut, coming upon a dusty wooden bed. When he found nothing else in the hut, Kuon decided that he would claim the hut as a temporary living space at least until he could find out who he was and how he had ended up there.

…

"There's been a wild tiger spirit wreaking havoc on a poor village in the mortal world, Empress Mogami."

Saena rolled her eyes at the report. "Just dispatch some soldiers to fix the situation."

"Don't you think this is a prime opportunity though for something else?" Todoh-san asked. He had been Saena's trusted advisor and was her right hand man since she had become Heavenly Empress, but that didn't mean Saena agreed with his advice all the time. Saena glared at him.

"An opportunity for what exactly?"

"To show everyone in the Heavens the strength and beauty of your daughter, of course! She'll become Heavenly Empress soon enough, but she's barely been out of the palace. Why don't we let her handle this problem?"

Saena thought it over and frowned as she realized Todoh's advice was faultless. "Call Kyoko here," Saena commanded to her guards.

Saena's guards went to fetch Kyoko and came back with the princess who immediately bowed in front of Saena. "Mother."

"I'm sending you to the mortal realm to get rid of a tiger spirit that's been hassling a village for a while. I trust that you can see to it?"

"Yes, Mother," Kyoko bowed as she received Saena's command and went to get ready.

* * *

 **That's it for chapter 3! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter!**

 **I'm anxiously awaiting the translation of the newest chapter of Skip Beat! after I read the spoiler today. I'm super excited to see Ren again after so many months, but the cliffhanger at the end of the chapter is going to make me so restless in anticipation for next month's chapter! It seems like the plot is finally picking up after that long audition arc, so I'm super excited!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Just as a note, last chapter I forgot to mention how Kuon's eyes also changed from green to brown, so I fixed it there and am telling you guys here because I don't want you guys to have to reread the last chapter just because I changed one sentence and didn't tell you guys. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

As Kyoko arrived back in her chambers of the Sky Palace, she found Sho waiting for her, fuming with rage.

"How could you accept the decree, Kyoko?!" Sho yelled as she approached him.

"Why wouldn't I?" Kyoko replied.

"Because I'm the one you're meant to marry, not that Hizuri guy!" Sho fumed. Kyoko felt bad that her childhood friend felt this way towards her, and she didn't reciprocate his feelings back, but she had always known that she would be married for political reasons. Sho needed to know that his thoughts were only delusions.

"I'm sorry, Sho, but I think of you as more of a brother than a lover," Kyoko replied with a straight face.

"Why? Is it because I'm 20,000 years older than you? You're marrying that Hizuri guy and he's 90,000 years older than you! He'll think of you as a child compared to him!" Sho yelled. Kyoko turned away and frowned. She knew about the age difference between them, but she had tried to forget about that so that she could give her best friend her happiness in exchange for her own. Now that Sho had said it, she realized just what she had gotten into and wondered just how Kuon would treat her being 90,000 years older than her. Sho instantly knew by her frown that he had upset her.

"I didn't mean it like that. I know you have no other choice," Sho tried to console her, but she didn't turn back to look at him, only staring at the floor next to him.

"I wasn't forced to make this choice. I knew I would be married to some prince or king sooner or later. It doesn't matter who it is. If you really want me to marry you, why don't you leave me no choice like Hizuri-san did?" Kyoko spat out in anger, storming off to her bedroom whilst ignoring Sho's calls for her.

...

"Is this about the Crown Princess's marriage?" Shoko asked the blonde boy in front of her seething in anger, knowing of the young boy's affections for the future Heavenly Empress. She had known the boy since he had been brought to the heavens after his whole tribe had been killed in the war against the Ghost Kingdom, and she had been assigned as a caretaker for him. In reality, she was a maid to Sho, but he didn't treat her as badly as he treated his other maids. They shared a special bond, and Sho could come to her to talk about anything, almost like she was his mother.

"The Heavenly Empress has high expectations for her daughter. She must marry someone from a distinguished tribe. Although you are a prince, it is in name only. You are not qualified to marry the next Heavenly Empress," Shoko explained.

"But my whole tribe sacrificed their lives for the Sky Kingdom!" Sho replied.

"If Kyoko reciprocated your feelings, then things might be different, but she doesn't. Why are you so keen on marrying her?" Shoko asked. She had known of Sho's affections for Kyoko for a long time, but she didn't want her charge suffering from the unrequited love. She knew that there was no way that Saena would allow Sho to become the next Heavenly Emperor alongside Kyoko. He had to get over his feelings for her!

"I've always known that we were perfect for each other! She doesn't belong with that Hizuri creep! And I'm going to make sure she gets that through her thick skull!" Sho yelled as he stormed off to confront Kyoko once again. He would be disappointed however when he found out that she had already left for the mortal realm in search of the rogue tiger spirit.

…

Kyoko had heard about how the tiger spirit had been harassing a certain village for several mortal years and had positioned herself there until it would make its appearance. It had only taken half of a mortal day for the tiger spirit to spring into a bustling street and start to chase villagers. Kyoko's eyes widened however as she realized that the tiger spirit had the ability to breathe fire. And not only fire, but hellfire that could wound even immortals.

Nevertheless, she unsheathed her sword and charged towards the tiger spirit, delivering a high kick to its chest. The tiger roared at her and tried to spew fire towards her, but she used her sword to block the attack and countered with magic of her own. Unfortunately, the tiger dodged her attack in the nick of time and cast more fire towards her. She immediately jumped up and flew onto a nearby roof to avoid the attack. The tiger growled before hearing the cries of a child and turning towards him. The little boy was crying for his mother who he had gotten separated from during the tiger's attack, and the tiger was slowly approaching the boy. Kyoko immediately changed herself into a black dragon since the child was in danger and stood protectively in front of the boy to stop the tiger from hurting him. A mother ran out from an alley and grabbed her child once the tiger's attention was on Kyoko again. The tiger launched itself at Kyoko who wrapped her tail around it and flew up into the sky. As she flew up, the tiger clawed at her and left many claw marks on her. Once in the sky, she launched a powerful bolt of lightning at it and flung it towards the ground. When she flew back downwards, she found that the tiger spirit had been killed by the lightning attack and by the impact of with the ground. As the villagers cheered for the dragon who had saved their village, Kyoko flew away and towards the mountains to find a cave so that she could rest. The tiger's attacks had been so powerful and had made wounds so deep that she was unable to return to her human form. Kyoko cast a spell on herself to shrink her form into the size of a snake so that she would fit better inside the cave. She would only need a few days of rest until she could return to the Sky Palace.

…

Kuon had been living in his new home for a mortal month and still had no recollection of where he had come from or how he had got there. He had explored the surrounding areas since he had needed to eat and frequented the nearby village to buy goods he would need to survive. He was a great hunter, but his cooking was subpar. Luckily, it was still edible though and he didn't have a big appetite.

As Kuon explored the woods around him, he became fascinated by nature and brought home any injured animals he found so that he could nurse them back to health. He had started to even run out of room in his house, so he had put his newest bird in a wooden cage inside a nearby cave. He would bring it home that day since otwo of the other birds that he had been nursing back to health had been able to fly away due to their injuries being healed. He now had room in his house for the new bird, but when he walked into the cave, he saw a black snake curled up in the corner. He immediately walked up to it and bent down to touch it.

"Are you okay, black snake? Why are you here? It isn't hibernation season yet, so you shouldn't be resting for long periods of time unless you're hurt. Here, I'll take you with me and nurse you back to health," Kuon smiled as he stroked the black snake's head and placed it into the basket of food he had brought with him.

...

"Welcome home," Kuon announced as he opened the door to his small hut and placed the black snake on a table.

"You must be hungry, so I'll get you something to eat," Kuon said before he walked off towards his kitchen. Kyoko didn't reply back, but watched his retreating form thinking that he seemed familiar. It was almost as if she had seen him in a dream, but that man in her dreams had blonde hair and emerald eyes compared to the brown eyes and hair that this mortal had.

As Kyoko looked around the dingy hut, she wondered how a mortal could live so far away from civilization. She also wondered why a mortal looking like that was alone in the woods without a wife. He looked around 20 years old as a mortal, so she wondered where his family was since most men that age were already engaged if not married.

"You're in luck. I have some chicken that I got from the market this morning," Kuon said as he entered the room again. He sat down at the table and picked up a pair of chopsticks, picking up a piece of the raw chicken that he had brought with him. Kuon brought the food up to the black snake's mouth, but Kyoko quickly turned away.

'Snakes eat raw meat, but I don't,' Kyoko thought as Kuon kept trying to feed her the chicken.

"Please can you eat? You need to eat to recover from your injuries," Kuon said as he unleashed a set of puppy eyes on her. She froze in place and opened her mouth in awe at the cuteness. Kuon used the opportunity to bring the chicken to her mouth, and she reluctantly swallowed it. Kuon smiled at her and she felt her heart skip a beat. What was going on? Kyoko looked around her and saw a basket of fruit. She pointed her head towards it.

"I should have known. The snakes here are smart. You know what kinds of foods you like, don't you?" Kuon said as he took an apple out of the basket and went to cut it. When he returned, he grabbed the chopsticks again and Kyoko happily ate the fruit. Apples were way tastier than raw chicken.

After Kuon had finished feeding the snake, he left the room and came back with a bowl of crushed up medicinal herbs. He took a small spoon and started to apply it to the snake's wounds.

"I've used this mixture to heal small birds before, so hopefully it heals your wounds as well," Kuon reasoned.

'This herb is good for healing birds, but it doesn't work on snakes without mixing it with another indigenous mountain berry. By using it on me right now, my wounds will actually take longer to heal, but I appreciate your good intentions,' Kyoko tried to say, but then she realized that she couldn't speak to him as a snake.

After Kuon had finished applying the medicine, he smiled at the snake in front of him. "I'm glad that I've gotten to spend the day with you. You're much smarter than the birds that I usually bring home to nurse back to health. It was nice to take care of you today."

'Why would I need you to take care of me? I only need three days to return to my human form and return back to the heavens," Kyoko thought.

Kuon reached out his hand to stroke the snake's head and found two little horns.

"You're one of the cutest snakes I've ever met. There's even horns on your head," Kuon smiled as he bent down and kissed her horns. Kyoko recoiled instantly and felt herself heat up in a blush.

'How dare you! You're a mortal man and I'm the crown princess of all the heavens,' Kyoko thought. Kuon chuckled at the snake's reaction and picked her up, taking her with him to his bed and laying her next to his pillow.

"Actually, you should probably stay here to accompany me for a while since I brought you back. But if you need to leave, I won't stop you. Just don't have another owner, alright?" Kuon chuckled. Kyoko's mouth gaped open. Another owner?! She wasn't a pet!

"Goodnight, black snake," Kuon said as he pulled the covers over himself. Kyoko watched him for a while until his breathing slowed, letting her know that he had fallen asleep. She looked at his peaceful face, the moonlight seeping in through a window to illuminate his handsome features. Kyoko decided that there was nothing she could do until a few days had passed and she could change back to her human form, so she fell asleep next to Kuon.

...

"There's still some unrest from the North and South of tribes wanting to break away from the tribal alliance. We have sent soldiers to try to pacify the situation, but the other tribes are unwilling to offer their own soldiers to help. We must act, Empress Mogami," Saena's advisor said.

"There must be a way for us to unite the tribes," another advisor said. As they discussed possible solutions, Sho walked up to Saena and went into a kneeling bow in front of her, silencing all the conversations around him.

"Is there a reason you have disturbed this meeting, Fuwa-san?" Saena frowned at the boy kneeling in front of her. He took a deep breath before replying.

"I have a way to pacify all of the kingdoms," Sho replied.

"You have a way? What are you talking about?" Saena asked.

"Grant me the title of side consort. You would not be strengthening the power of any one tribe, and it would show everyone that Your Majesty values each and every tribe," Sho replied. Saena raised an eyebrow at his request.

"It would surely unite the tribes, but I'm already old. I don't have an interest in having lovers anymore. I mostly leave my other consorts to their own devices now. I will only hold you back," Saena replied.

"I want to do something equal to the sacrifice my tribe made years ago. The Sky Kingdom is in need of manpower and compliance from the rest of the tribes to pacify the North and South. I am willing to do this," Sho said.

"This is an important decision for your life. Are you sure?" Saena asked. Sho looked up at her with a determined face and said, "I am. I only ask of one favor. Please grant me one wish no matter what it is in the future."

* * *

 **Thank you for reading this chapter!**

 **I have seen many other authors do this on their stories to interact more with readers, so I'm going to start replying to comments at the end of each chapter! I wanted to reply to the reviewers of chapters 1 and 2, but I'm afraid that it will be a little too much to write in this author's note. I vehemently appreciate each and every review, and I'm sorry that I'm not responding to those reviews right now.**

 **Crazy4Animation:** I'm glad you liked the twist! I hope you liked how Kyoko and Kuon met even though Kuon doesn't actually know that Kyoko is a human yet or his would be wife. About the manga, every month of waiting kills me a little inside especially last chapter with Ren coming back and the big cliffhanger at the end. Hopefully Kyoko and Ren realize that they're perfect for each other soon, but it'll probably be a couple more years with this update schedule. Thanks for reviewing each of my chapters so far! I really appreciate the time you took to write these reviews!

 **Guest:** Glad you're excited to read more! Hope this chapter was enjoyable!

 **Paulagato:** In my stories thus far, I've made Reino a villain because compared to Sho, I haven't seen him redeem himself much. Glad that you like him as the villain, but as seen in this chapter, you should also watch out for Sho's evil plans! Hope you liked Kyoko and Kuon's first meeting, and I'm glad you enjoyed last chapter! Thanks for your continuous reviews on my stories!


	5. Chapter 5

**Well here we are again! I don't have a set update schedule, but I'll try to update this fic about every 1-2 weeks. I hope you enjoy this chapter! :D**

* * *

"What about you come with me to the market, black snake?" Kuon smiled at the snake who immediately snapped to attention. Kyoko's injuries had healed over the last few days, and it was time for her to head back soon.

'I should be leaving now. Thank you for your three days of kindness,' Kyoko thought as she turned away from Kuon, but he picked her up and placed her in his basket anyways.

'Can't you see that it's about to rain today, human?!' Kyoko thought as Kuon started to exit his house with her in tow.

Kuon walked for 30 minutes before hearing thunder. Kyoko in the basket widened her eyes and transported her soul to the clouds above to confront the god who was about to cast rain. The man widened his eyes at the Crown Princess's appearance.

"Cr-crown Princess!"

"There's no need to cast rain today. Could you hold off until tomorrow?" Kyoko asked sweetly. The man nodded his head and she smiled at him before disappearing, leaving the man in a happy stupor at having met the legendary Mogami Kyoko.

...

After Kyoko had talked with the rain god, she teleported herself to the Sky Palace and bowed in front of her mother who was sitting on her throne.

"I have killed the tiger spirit and have come to report back. The delay of my return was caused by minor injuries restricting me from changing back to my human form. I apologize for the delay, Mother," Kyoko said.

"I expected you to go unscathed, but it seems as if you've failed my expectations yet again. I would berate you for it now, but I wanted to talk to you about the tensions at the North and South seas. With Sho becoming my consort, I expect that the situation at the South Sea will calm down, but the situation at the North Sea looks like it will take some more work. I will need you to lead our troops to war there personally since the king of the North Sea is a coward and is unwilling to go to war," Saena scowled, dissatisfied at the situation with the North Sea.

"Yes, Mother," Kyoko bowed and left for her quarters. As Sho watched her retreating form from the position where he stood next to Saena's throne, he wondered if she even heard the part about him marrying Saena. She didn't betray any emotion when she heard it, so he wondered if she ignored it on purpose! How dare she!

...

"Hey Julie, do you know where Kuon is?" Kuu asked. Julie looked up from her flower arranging and raised a confused eyebrow at him.

"Didn't you see him right after you changed his engagement from Kotonami Kanae to the Crown Princess?" Julie asked.

"Not yet. I was looking for him so that I could tell him," Kuu replied.

"I swear, Kuu, if you've let kidnapper-kun take my son away from me again, I will make sure you-"

"Were you talking about me again, Julie? Is this about how I took Kuon to Goraku Mountain while you were at a festival in the Sky Palace?" Lory chuckled as he walked in on the couple.

"This isn't a joke! My son is missing! You took him away again didn't you!?" Julie cried out.

"Kuon's missing? When did you last see him?" Lory asked, now concerned about the Fairy Kingdom prince.

"Yashiro-san!" Kuu called out. In a few short moments, the bespectacled tree spirit came forward. He was Kuon's right hand and was pretty much a manager to the young king for anything and everything he would need as the king of the Fairy Kingdom. He was almost always by Kuon's side and was the closest person to a friend that the king had.

"Yes, Kuu-sama?" Yashiro stood attentively.

"Do you know where Kuon has gone?" Lory asked.

"Last time I saw him, he looked concerned and had gone to check on a matter that he wouldn't tell me about. I found it odd since he's usually so stoic, but you don't think it could be about Rick right? He's the only one that I've ever known to illicit such emotion from Kuon," Yashiro said worriedly.

"Wait! What if this has to do with the Ghost King who killed Rick? Kuon's not trying to avenge his late master, is he?" Lory asked making everyone in the conversation freeze. They all looked at each other and in understanding everyone went to get ready to visit the Far Sea to pay a visit to the man who had killed Rick and to find Kuon before he did something reckless.

...

When Kyoko arrived back in her quarters, she decided that she would pay a visit to the mortal again that had taken her in since there was still some time before she would have to meet with the generals of the North Sea in preparation for the war. She transported her soul back to the body of the snake and peeked her head out of the basket she found herself in, realizing that it was now full of food that Kuon had probably bought at the market. As she looked around at her surroundings, she realized that he had brought her back to his hut.

"You're awake! I was beginning to get worried since you'd been sleeping for 8 couple days," Kuon smiled at her as he entered the room and saw that the snake was awake. Kyoko had only been away for less than an hour in heaven time, but it correlated to a few days in mortal time. If she had been gone for a day, she would have been gone for a year in the mortal realm since time moved quicker there.

As Kyoko looked at Kuon, she felt herself heat up in a blush as she realized that he was only dressed in a towel around his midsection. It looked as if he had just finished bathing as his hair was wet and beads of water were glistening off his toned chest. Kyoko wished she had arms to cover her eyes with, but alas she was in her snake form. She had never seen a man with so little clothes on before, not even Sho. As Kuon exited the room and came back with clothes, Kyoko's eyes widened in fear as he moved his hand to undo the towel. She screamed, but it only came out as a hiss since she was a snake. Nevertheless, Kuon paused in his action and looked at her quizzically. With his attention on her, she quickly darted back into the basket to avert her eyes from his nudity. When Kuon was done changing, he took her out of the basket, and she sighed in relief when she saw that he was fully clothed now. But she wondered what would have happened if she looked down...

"I'm glad you're awake now, snake. The birds that I've taken in have healed and have flown away in the last couple days, so it's been a little lonely recently," Kuon smiled sadly.

'Why don't you try to talk with the village folk and secure yourself a companion?' Kyoko wanted to ask, but no words came out since she was a snake.

"I've tried to talk with some people in the village nearby, but most of the women there only squeal when I try talking to them, and the men glare at me. Maybe it's better to just keep animals for company," Kuon sighed, answering her question for her.

"I don't remember my family either if I even had one. One day I just woke up in front of this hut, but I had no memory of anything prior, not even my name. I wonder how I ended up here, but I haven't been able to retain my memories," Kuon said. Kyoko felt sympathy towards this mortal's plight.

"Well anyways, while you were gone I got this nice quilt since it's been getting colder. A nice lady gave it to me for free since I bought some rice from her. It's great that it'll be able to keep us warm this winter," Kuon smiled as he picked the snake up and put it down next to his pillow.

"Goodnight, snake," Kuon whispered. Kyoko waited for his breath to slow down before changing into her human form since she had healed enough to do so now. As she transformed, she found herself laying next to Kuon in bed with his arm laid over her, holding her close. Kyoko's breath hitched as she turned towards him and found his face right in front of hers. She inadvertently smiled at how peaceful he looked while he slept and found herself closing her eyes as well, just reveling in the feeling of how this kind stranger had been so nice to her even as a snake. Most people around her only associated with her for her position and power, but he was one of the select few that were different. Maybe she could just stay here for a few more mortal hours…

…

Kyoko told herself this, but she gasped when she realized after many nights of staying with Kuon that she had spent three months in his company. She had lost track of time when spending time with this mortal. Staying in her snake form everyday except for at night, she would transform back into her human form for a few hours as Kuon slept and wrapped his arm around her. Kyoko didn't know why she kept doing this since she could stay a snake a sleep fine, but she reasoned that it was winter and that his arm wrapped around her made her feel warmer. She screamed at herself for being such a loose woman to have shared a bed with a man for so long and be unmarried, but she couldn't help herself from enjoying his company. Her wounds had almost fully healed now, but she couldn't bear to part with this kind man.

Over the time that she had spent with him, she found out many things about him. For one, she realized that he had very poor eating habits. He would always feed any animals he took care of, but he ate only a morsel of what he caught for them. Also, she realized that many women in the nearby village would hassle him whenever he went to the market there. They would try to rudely drape themselves over him, but she could see that he wasn't interested in these types of women. He would politely smile at them and leave when they were dazed by his smile. Until one day, where one persistent lady grabbed the basket that held Kyoko to get his attention and dropped it, spilling its contents. Everyone around them gasped as they saw the small snake.

"He's been carrying a black snake! I told you that he wasn't who you thought he was! He must be a demon! Black snakes are signs of evil!" A man shouted who had been jealous of his wife giving this man so much attention.

"Burn the snake!" Another man shouted. Kuon tried to grab the snake but was shoved back by many men.

"Don't hurt it! It's not hurting anybody!" Kuon shouted as a couple men grabbed his arms and restrained him. He tried to wrench himself out of their grips but more men restrained him as he struggled to get away. If he had been fighting one on one or even one on three, he could have escaped, but it seemed like all the men in the village were trying to make sure they burned the snake so that he would be made out as a bad guy.

As Kyoko saw the men approaching her, she realized that her time with this mortal was done now since the only way she would be able to get away would be to show her true form. Before the men could touch her, she transformed herself into a dragon and screeched at the men holding Kuon. All of the villagers bowed to her as they realized that this was the dragon who had saved them from the tiger spirit a couple months ago.

"He's friends with the dragon god that saved us! He must be blessed by the gods! Doesn't that just make him even more dreamy?" A young woman announced as she swooned.

Kyoko flew upwards and looked back at Kuon once more guiltily. 'I'm sorry that I lied to you. Our time together as snake and human is up now since word will get back to the palace about me showing my true form, but wait for me a few days and I will come back,' Kyoko wanted to say before she flew up and away from the village towards the Heavens.

For the next few days, Kuon stayed alone in his hut, not bothering to revisit the village after Kyoko's reveal. He hadn't known that his snake friend had been a dragon the whole time, and suddenly he found himself feeling guilty of spending so many nights with a dragon god. Since the snake had been gone however, he had felt lonely since the snake had felt much more like a companion to him than the birds he brought home. He felt like it understood what he was saying almost like it was another human. But now he was all alone again.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading this chapter! Be sure to follow this story to know when I update it next!**

 **Paulagato-** I agree! I think Kyoko and Kuon are one of the cutest couples ever even if they haven't realized their love for each other yet in the manga. Hopefully they get together soon!

 **Crazy4Animation-** I'm glad you liked snake Kyoko! Thank you for being so eager to read my stories!

 **Guest-** Hope this chapter didn't disappoint! Sorry for a kinda late update!

 **Thank you so much for your reviews, and I'll see you all next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Here's an extra-long chapter that I hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

As Kyoko flew to the Sky Palace and entered her quarters, she morphed back into her human form and went to her bedroom to grab a cloak. When she got there however, she found Sho waiting for her.

"Kyoko-"

"Sho, think about what people will say if they find you here. You won't be able to become my mother's consort if they find you in my bedroom," Kyoko said before he claimed her lips greedily. She struggled against his tight grip to break the kiss but was only let go once he stepped back for a breath of air.

"What are you thinking you jerk?!" Kyoko screamed.

"I wanted to tell you-"

"I need to be somewhere, Sho. Please don't come to my bedroom again to speak to me," Kyoko glared at him as she pulled on her cloak and started to leave.

"You haven't had your first kiss right? Think of this as a gift from me to you! In return, just listen to what I have to say," Sho smirked. Kyoko paused in her stride for a moment as she realized that he had just stolen her first kiss, but she continued walking away before he could say anything more. He scowled as she never turned back to hear him out.

"I could have any girl that I wanted, but it's because of you that I won't take anyone else! If it wasn't for you, why would I be marrying Saena?" Sho gritted his teeth, but no one was around to hear it since Kyoko had already teleported herself away.

When she had gotten away from Sho, she suddenly remembered the little kiss that the mortal had given her when she had been a snake, and a smile crept up to her lips. Her first kiss had been with him, not Sho she realized. That made her feel a lot better.

…

As Kyoko entered into the entrance hall of the Sky Palace a couple rooms in front of her bedroom, she found her best friend standing in front of the door. Kyoko's eyes instantly lit up as she saw her friend, and she sprung forward to give Kanae a hug, forgetting where she was.

"Mo! Don't do that kind of thing in a public area like this! What if Empress Mogami sees you?" Kanae yelled, stopping Kyoko in her tracks. She collected herself and bowed respectfully to Kanae who bowed back.

"Now are you going to invite me in?" Kanae asked.

"I would rather we talk somewhere else. Here, take my hand," Kyoko said as she thought about how she had just left Sho in her bedroom and didn't want to meet him there again. As Kanae grabbed Kyoko's hand, Kyoko transported them both to the mortal realm to a small tea house. The old lady who owned the shop didn't see them suddenly appear since she was turned around, and happily showed them to a private room where they ordered a pot of tea. Once they were alone, Kyoko dropped her polite act and put on a goofy smile at seeing her best friend.

"Mo! How am I supposed to be angry at you when you have that expression on?" Kanae pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance.

"You're mad at me?" Kyoko tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"Yes! Chiori and I told you to take your life into your own hands, and immediately after, you get yourself into an arranged marriage with that Hizuri Kuon who never leaves the Fairy Kingdom! People haven't seen him out in public for years, so what if he's some weirdo?!" Kanae exclaimed.

"Actually, I did kind of take your advice, Moko-san…." Kyoko smiled sheepishly.

"I met this one mortal and have spent three months in his company disguised as a snake, sleeping beside him every night. When I spend time with him, it feels like I've finally found something that I've been missing my whole life. I feel like I've seen him in a dream before and that I've known him forever. I was wounded in the battle with the tiger spirit, and he found me and gave me this one herb that actually made my injuries worse, but his intentions were good. He usually lives alone, but he enjoyed my company until I was forced to reveal my true form. This is the first time I've done something that Mother would not have approved of," Kyoko smiled.

"Wait. Are you telling me that you've fallen in love with a mortal? Countless gods have tried to court you, and you've fallen in love with a mortal who didn't even know that you had a human form?" Kanae's mouth gaped open.

"Eh? There's been gods trying to court me?!" Kyoko's mouth gaped open as well. Kanae wanted to smack her upside her head for how oblivious she was to these things but paused when she saw Kyoko's horror-filled expression.

"What's wrong?" Kanae asked in concern at her sudden mood change.

"Did you just ask if I was in l-lo-ove with him?" Kyoko asked as her whole face heated up in a blush.

"Mo! Is that why you suddenly changed your mood like that? There's nothing wrong with falling in love with someone!"

"I'm not in l-l-love with him!" Kyoko stuttered.

"If you weren't, then why would you share a bed with him for three months? Even if it was only for a few hours in the heavens, it's still a big deal for an unmarried woman like you who has a marriage arrangement!"

"I only shared a bed with him because there were no other beds in the house, and it was winter, so it was cold, and he didn't have any extra blankets-" Kyoko rambled, but Kanae glared at her.

"Moko-sannn…"

"I won't speak to you ever again if you lie to me about your feelings for him," Kanae frowned as she stood up and turned to leave.

"Wait! Fine! I think I have some feelings for him…" Kyoko yelled so that Kanae wouldn't leave. At her words, Kanae turned back around and sat down opposite her.

"So what are you going to do about those feelings?" Kanae asked. Kyoko opened her mouth immediately to reply, but no words came out as she couldn't think of how she would act when she saw Kuon again.

"You're hopeless at love. Here, what about I just give you some advice for what I think you should do," Kanae sighed. Kyoko smiled at her and waited in anticipation for Kanae's advice.

"Just go up to him in your human form and smile at him. He'll fall in love with you right then and there," Kanae snorted.

"That won't work, Moko-san! I'm not one of those beauties who would make any man fall in love with her at first sight!" Kyoko replied. Kanae sighed as she wanted to tell her friend that she was exactly one of those beauties, but she decided to keep her mouth shut since Kyoko would never believe her anyways.

"Fine, then use something else. Men always like to be the hero, so why don't you appear in front of him wounded? He'll probably try to take care of you and nurse you back to health like he did when you were a snake. Play the pity card, and I think he'll fall in love with you eventually," Kanae said. Kyoko's lips widened into a huge smile and she hugged her best friend from across the table.

"Thank you, Moko-san! That's a great idea!" Kyoko exclaimed.

"Mo! Just remember to put a barrier around his house so that the Empress doesn't find out that you're there," Kanae huffed as she tried to get out of Kyoko's strong grip. Eventually, Kyoko let go of her and smiled.

"I already did that before I left," Kyoko replied before exiting the tea house and departing for the hut in the woods. She paused in her stride for a moment however when she thought about Kanae's words.

'I know I said that I was in love with him, but that was just a lie that I made up so Moko-san wouldn't leave, right? There's no way that a girl like me could fall in love... I just want to spend more time with that mortal since he's amusing and one of the kindest souls I've ever met. Sure he's the handsomest man I've ever seen and his deep voice makes my heart race, but that's not love!' Kyoko thought. She looked inside herself to the little box inside her that contained all of her emotions that she usually had to hide away and gasped as she realized that all the locks had been blown off except for one. She watched in horror as a single angel inside the box struggled to slip through the crack. The angel, noticing Kyoko's attention on her, smiled and stopped her struggle.

'Could you please unlock the last lock?' The angel asked.

"If I do that then-"

'If you unlock it, then you'll feel the true bliss of being in love for the first time ever! Don't be scared!' The angel reassured her.

'I can't open it. If I do, then Mother will find out, and she'll scold me for being a disobedient child and a girl blind to her duties in the name of love," Kyoko said.

"But Moko-san told you to take control over your life! Just this once, let yourself out and just make sure Mother doesn't see it! Think of how happy you would be to be able to have your love for that mortal requited!" The angel exclaimed. Kyoko bit her lip nervously before thinking of Kuon's smile and having her heart skip a beat. The last lock on her box clicked open and the angel joyfully flew out.

'I'll try, but if it doesn't work out, then I'm locking this box up again,' Kyoko told the angel.

"Don't worry! I'll make sure it all goes to plan!" The angel exclaimed.

…

As Kuon finished feeding his newest patient that he had just picked up the last night, a black wren whose wing had been injured, he heard a cough from outside his hut. Surprised that anyone would come to visit him so far out in the woods, he rushed out to see a young woman with auburn hair and golden eyes laying against the side of his house with a huge cut on her shoulder. As he approached her, she coughed out some blood, and he feared that she had some internal bleeding as well.

"Miss! What are you doing here?" Kuon asked in concern before she coughed up more blood. He bent down and picked her up princess-style, setting her down inside on his bed. He ran to his kitchen and grabbed the only medicine that he had even if he only ever used it on animals.

"I've only used this medicine to heal birds and snakes, so I'm not sure if it works on people," Kuon said as he brought the mixture towards Kyoko. She tried to sit up by herself, but he immediately helped her.

"Don't move around too much! You'll bleed out more!" Kuon said in concern for her health.

"Don't worry, Mister. It's just a small injury," Kyoko smiled but coughed out more blood as she said this.

"It doesn't seem small to me. Wait here for me. Let me go get some water to clean up your wound!" Kuon said as he rushed off to grab a bucket of water and a small cloth. He brought it to the side of the bed and looked at the girl's injury. It was bleeding through her light pink robe, and he realized that he would need to take the robe off to reach the wound.

"Could you lower this off your shoulder yourself?" Kuon asked, not wanting to invade this girl's privacy. Kyoko nodded at him and undid her robe slightly so that she could pull down the fabric covering her wound. He gasped as he saw three deep slashes across her shoulder. Taking his cloth and wetting it, he gently dabbed at the wound several times, rinsing the cloth as it got soaked with blood. Soon, he had finished cleaning it up and applied the medicine he had.

"Let me go change the water. There's too much blood and your wound is too deep that the bleeding won't stop," Kuon said as he picked up the bucket and left Kyoko sitting on his bed. She wondered if maybe she had gone a bit too far with the wound and used her magic to heal the fake wound that she had inflicted on herself.

"I'm afraid your wound is quite deep. Maybe I should call a physician since this medicine is only used on small animals…" Kuon started to say before he looked at Kyoko's shoulder and realized that the wound was gone. His mouth gaped open in surprise. Kyoko looked down at her shoulder too and acted surprised.

"It's healed! Maybe the medicine you used is the rare plant that I've heard stories about that grows around here and is able to miraculously heal injuries?" Kyoko asked.

"I just picked these herbs randomly. I'm not sure if that's the case. But what about your internal injuries?" Kuon asked.

"My internal injuries are not fully healed yet," Kyoko coughed.

"How did you get so hurt in the first place?"

"A monster attacked me while I was walking in the woods, and I walked alone in pain trying to find a clinic until I came upon this hut. By the time I arrived, I was too exhausted to walk anymore, so it was lucky that I found your house here and that you were so kind as to take care of me," Kyoko replied before having a pretend coughing fit.

"Don't speak! Rest here, and I'll get you something to eat!" Kuon said as he helped Kyoko lie down and went to gather some food from the woods around his house. When he had left, Kyoko couldn't help a smile from spreading across her face. Her angel smiled at her as well.

"Feels good to be in love, doesn't it?" The angel asked, and Kyoko nodded her head.

…

After a few hours, Kuon came back and cooked up a simple soup with vegetables and some meat that he had caught. He immediately grabbed a spoon and brought it up to the now awake Kyoko's mouth, and she opened it to drink the soup. She coughed as the soup hit her taste buds though.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not the best cook," Kuon said sheepishly. Feeling guilty that she had let him see her true reaction to the horrible taste, she swallowed the soup and smiled sweetly at him.

"No worries. It tastes fine," Kyoko lied. She let him feed her a few more spoonfuls before he stopped and put the bowl down. She sighed in relief when he turned around.

"Your injuries are very severe. Why don't you stay here a while until you heal?" Kuon suggested.

"Okay, that's very kind of you to offer. Thank you for saving me," Kyoko replied with a smile.

"What is your name?" Kuon asked her.

"My name is Mogami Kyoko, but you may call me Kyoko since you were so kind as to help me. May I ask your name in return?" Kyoko smiled. Kuon rubbed the back of his head as he smiled sadly.

"I'm afraid that I don't have a name. I have no name and no family or friends since I live alone on this mountain," Kuon replied.

"Then, what about I give you a name so that I can refer to you by it and gift you it since you saved me?" Kyoko asked. Kuon smiled at her and nodded. She looked around his hut and her eyes landed on the wren that he had just brought in.

"What about Ren?" Kyoko asked. He smiled back at her.

"That sounds perfect," Ren replied. Kyoko smiled at him, and he felt his heartbeat quicken at her cute smile. What was going on?

…

When night approached and Ren had finished cleaning up, he brought up a chair next to Kyoko's bed and closed his eyes as he sat down. Kyoko had been facing away from him, but when she turned over to face him, she frowned as she saw him dozing off on the chair.

"Falling asleep like that would be very uncomfortable! You should sleep on the bed for a while since you've worked so hard to help me!" Kyoko shouted, waking Ren up from his snooze. He yawned and looked at her.

"You need to use the bed to rest and heal from your injuries, so I'll be fine sleeping here," Ren said as he began to close his eyes again.

"I'm not tired yet, so why don't you use the bed until I feel more tired," Kyoko retorted.

"Unless you want to share it, I'm not going to kick you off of the bed," Ren replied as he closed his eyes once more.

"Then let's just share the bed!" Kyoko exclaimed, startling Ren and waking him up. He hadn't expected her to agree to that.

"It's fine with me. I just don't want you to sleep on the chair, so if we have to sleep on the bed together, then I accept," Kyoko explained.

"I can't share a bed with someone else's wife, Kyoko," Ren said as he thought about how guilty he would feel if she was chastised later by her husband for sleeping next to an unknown stranger.

"I'm not married, and we're only going to be sleeping together on the bed for necessity. It's cold tonight, so come here already. Either we both sleep on the bed, or we can keep arguing," Kyoko replied. Realizing that the fight would go on forever if he didn't agree, Ren reluctantly got up to lie down next to Kyoko, facing away from her until his breathing slowed and he fell asleep. Kyoko's face heated up when Ren turned in his sleep and came face to face with her as he did many nights before. She could feel his breath on her face, and soon his arm snaked its way around her and they both fell asleep with smiles on their faces unbeknownst to them.

…

When Kyoko awoke the next morning, she immediately smelled something burning. She threw herself out of bed and ran into the kitchen to see Ren burning some kind of fried rice. He looked up from his cooking and grabbed her hand, leading them both out of the hut so that the smoke could clear out.

"What happened?" Kyoko asked.

"I wanted to make something for you to eat, but I guess I burned it like usual," Ren smiled sheepishly.

"How did you survive before I came here?" Kyoko wondered.

"I usually eat the fruits I pick and only eat meat occasionally since I usually burn it. It's fine though since I've never had much of an appetite anyways," Ren replied.

"Since my injuries are a little better now because of that medicine, what about I take over the cooking?" Kyoko asked.

"I can't let you exert yourself like that-"

"Please, Ren. It's the least I could do for you since you took me in," Kyoko begged him.

"Fine, but if you feel overexerted in any way when cooking, stop immediately and I'll finish it up while you rest," Ren said. Kyoko smiled at him and reentered the house, making a beeline for the kitchen to clean up his mess.

* * *

 **Hope you liked the chapter! Thank you to those who reviewed last chapter:**

 **Girl-** Glad you liked it!

 **Ezra-** I'm happy to have a new reader! Hope you liked this update!

 **Ashenvale-** I hope I answered your question in my PM! Feel free to message me further if you're still unsure! I would be happy to clarify anything!

 **paulagato-** She hasn't discovered that Kuon's her fiance yet, but I hope that this chapter was enjoyable with her and Ren's blossoming relationship even when they don't know they're actually engaged :)

 **Crazy4Animation-** Their love is quickly blossoming as seen in this chapter especially! Hope this chapter didn't disappoint!

 **If you haven't seen the recent spoilers for the newest Skip Beat! chapter yet, don't read this next author's note.**

 **You have been warned:**

 **So in this chapter, I'm happy that Kyoko seems to be fine, and we learn that Ren only gives 11 White Day gifts each year? My prediction is that he's either late in finding the right return gift for Kyoko or that he won't get her a gift at all. The reason why he wouldn't give her a gift at all I think is maybe because he only gives return gifts to the 11 people who gave him the most expensive gifts on Valentine's Day. That's the only reason why I could think he would give a gift to Kimiko, or maybe he just gave it to her so that she would stop pestering him about it XD. Well that's all I have to say about the latest chapter and I'm not even going to comment on that kiss until we get more information or until the scans come out. What are your predictions on why Ren only gives out 11 White Day presents?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello everybody! Here's another chapter that I hope you enjoy! This chapter is really cute and just a little break from the intense situations that I'm sure you all know are ahead on the horizon.**

* * *

For a few months, the couple lived together in Ren's hut with Kyoko cooking and Ren gathering the food. Since Kyoko had come to live with him, Ren had appreciated the company and had grown to know Kyoko better. She was an amazing cook and could make him eat anything that she whipped up even when he wasn't hungry. She loved to talk about fairytales and would tell him these tales until she would fall asleep, and he would just smile at her enthusiasm zapping up all her energy and would carry her bridal-style to their shared bed. One night, he had woken up in the middle of the night and found that he had wrapped his arms around her. She awoke as well and explained to him that he did this every night, making him blush profusely and apologize. Luckily it was dark, and Kyoko couldn't see Ren's blush, but she just smiled and said that there was no need to apologize. After that day, he consciously wrapped his arms around her instead and wondered if the smile that she gave him every morning was even brighter than it was before.

One of Ren's biggest problems was her smiles. One of her smiles would send his heart reeling and make his breath hitch. She had an effect on his emotional state that no other girl in the village had on him before, and even though he would feel more embarrassed and shy than usual around her, he couldn't actually say that he hated these responses.

After months of living with Kyoko, Ren gradually began to wonder how he would live without her when her injuries healed. He wondered if her injuries were already healed, and she just didn't tell him since she had realized his attachment to her. Whenever he thought she wasn't looking, he would secretly admire her busying around the kitchen and just doing normal day-to-day chores, but there were times when she caught his gaze and blushed. He quickly looked away, embarrassed that he had been caught, but learned to act well enough that it seemed as if he had been looking around the room and hadn't noticed that his eyes had been trained on her. He was thankful that he had this hidden acting ability that allowed him to hide his true feelings from her. She would probably freak out if she found out that he had started to become attracted to her innocence, her beauty, her joyful personality, her hardworking tendencies, and pretty much everything else about her.

He also frequently caught himself looking at her lips whenever she spoke to him, wondering how they would feel against his own. He knew that these weren't thoughts to have towards a girl who potentially already had a marriage arrangement, but he couldn't stop himself from loving her smile that shined into the darkest depths of his heart, her figure that he knew would fit perfectly flush against his own, and her eyes that glowed like molten gold and hypnotized him. He had fallen hard for her, but he sadly realized that his love was probably unrequited. There was no way she loved him back, right? They had only been together for a few months after all...

"Kyoko?" Ren asked one day as she cooked up a vegetable stir fry.

"Yes?"

"Your injuries look fairy healed. Don't you have to leave soon?" Ren asked, internally dreading her answer. He enjoyed her company more than he did of the small animals he usually brought home, and he couldn't imagine living without her now. He had only asked the question because he knew that their time together had been pretty extensive already, and he was concerned that she had people that cared about her looking for her.

"Do you want me to leave?" Kyoko asked back, earning an immediate rebuttal from Ren.

"No, I was just wondering if you had to get back to your family. It's been a few months, so they must be worried about you," Ren reasoned.

"But naturally I should stay a while longer to repay you," Kyoko replied, not mentioning her family situation. Saena would probably be furious at her for staying here, not worried like Ren thought.

"You don't have to repay me. It was my pleasure to provide care to you when you were injured," Ren smiled. He didn't want to hinder her from her life, but each time he told her that she should leave, his heart ached at the thought of her departure.

"I should still stay to repay you in some way. I'm not an ungrateful woman, so I need to do this. You can take time thinking of what you want me to repay you with," Kyoko replied, refusing to leave his side. She had enjoyed the feeling of being in love way too much to allow it to just end like this. She had to guiltily admit that she wasn't willing to part with Ren as long as he would accept her presence.

"Then what about you repay me by staying here with me, Kyoko?" Ren asked, making Kyoko's eyes widen in surprise. She had been expecting to drag out her stay to fulfill whatever request he had, but this she had not expected.

"The only thing I lack in this hut is a companion. Before you came, I was living by myself and it was very lonely. If you want to repay me, then what about you stay here?" Ren asked as he looked down, guilty that he had asked for such a selfish thing. When he looked up at Kyoko however, he saw her smiling brilliantly at him, making his heart catch in his throat again as it had done many times over the last few months.

"I accept. I will devote myself to you," Kyoko agreed immediately.

"Are you sure? I didn't expect you to agree so quickly. I thought that you would at least need a couple more days to think it over-"

"These few months that I've stayed with you have been some of the happiest times of my life. I would love to stay," Kyoko smiled.

"Well in that case, since we're going to stay together forever, then what about we get married?" Ren blurted out, surprised at what he had just asked for. He hadn't meant to reveal his feelings, but this sort of thought just came out naturally since they would be a man and woman staying together. His heartbeat quickened when she smiled at him.

"I would love to marry you, Ren. I've never been to a marriage ceremony before though, so I'm not quite sure how it's done," Kyoko replied as her angel cheered for her progress. The thought of being married to Ren made Kyoko forget completely about any other duties she had as Crown Princess and about how long she would be able to stay with him before being found out. She just wondered if he was asking her this formality since it wouldn't be proper for men and women at their ages to live together for an extended period of time without being married. Would her heart be able to take the prospect of forcing him into a marriage that he didn't want?

"I haven't either, so we can skip some of the formalities," Ren smiled back, amazed that she had accepted.

"Are you sure you want to marry me? I asked to marry you not because it's the proper thing for us to do if we want to live together, but because I think I've fallen in love with you. I don't want to hinder you if you don't love me back-" Ren started to say before seeing Kyoko start to cry. He immediately regretted confessing if it prompted this response from her.

"You l-love me?" Kyoko smiled as tears of happiness came to her eyes.

"If I did, then how would you react?" Ren asked, nervous that she would reject him and leave him, never to be seen again.

"I would tell you that I'm also madly in love with you and that I have been for a while," Kyoko smiled as her angel did backflips in joy at her confession. Ren felt like the luckiest man in the world as he learned that he shared mutual feelings with her. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he would fall in love, and to actually be marrying the object of his affections right after learning she loved him back was just unbelievable.

"Then I love you, Kyoko, and I don't know if I can wait until we're married," Ren smiled back.

"Then let's go to the village tomorrow and buy the nuptial cups and sake. We can also try to find our wedding attire there," Kyoko said.

"I look forward to it," Ren smiled back at her lovingly, no longer hiding his affections for her. She turned back to her cooking to hide her blush from his smile before he lightly brushed her arm a few moments later as he stood next to her.

"Is there something else you need to speak to me about, Ren?" Kyoko asked as Ren looked at her with an expression that she had never seen before directed towards her. That look caused her breath to hitch as she realized that he was looking at her with lust. The only words she could think of at that moment were "Emperor of the Night".

When he didn't respond after a few seconds, she started to get worried that he had passed out or something. "What's-hmphh?" Kyoko started to say before Ren claimed her lips. She melted into his embrace, deepening the kiss that they both had craved for so long. As Kyoko pulled away for a breath, Ren pulled her back in for a kiss even more filled with passion than the last. They repeated this multiple times until Ren reluctantly pulled away.

"I've wanted to do that for a long time. I couldn't control myself after you agreed to marry me, but I'm sorry since we have to stop. If we continue, then I don't know if I'll be able to control myself before I do something unthinkable to an unmarried woman," Ren said as he brought his hand over his mouth to cover his rising blush. As Kyoko understood his implications, she blushed furiously.

"Let's wait until we're married, then I'll be ready to continue," Kyoko said shyly.

…

Kyoko held onto Ren's arm as he guided them through the market. They had sold many of the pieces of jewelry that Kyoko had procured with her magic (Ren wondered why he never saw her wearing these pieces before) to buy the things that they would need for their wedding. Ren had been a bit confused when he had found out about her enormous wealth, but she just told him that her family was wealthy enough to own such things.

"Are you sure you're ready to get married to me then? I'm not wealthy, and I don't know if I can provide much for you-"

"I really do want to marry you. I don't care about wealth as long as I can stay with you," Kyoko smiled back at him sweetly, making Ren want to kiss her again right there.

"But what about your family? You don't already have a marriage arrangement?" Ren asked. A flash of panic shot through Kyoko's eyes as she thought of her engagement to Hizuri Kuon, but she shook her head in response to Ren's question.

"My family situation is complicated, but I still intend to marry you. Let's not worry about them for now," Kyoko replied. Ren looked at her skeptically before her eyes were entranced by a glimmer of light from a merchant's stall. She pulled Ren over to the stand, and he saw that she was interested in a certain blue stone.

"How much is this?" Ren asked the merchant.

"It's fine, Ren. We don't have to buy this, I just wanted to come and see what it was-"

"Can we have this, please?" Ren asked the merchant, interrupting Kyoko's protests. Once he had paid, Ren grabbed the stone and held it out for Kyoko to take.

"Consider it my wedding present to you," Ren smiled as he bent down to kiss the stone. Kyoko eyed him scrupulously before gently taking the stone from his outstretched hand. She held it up to the sun and gasped when it changed from its deep blue-purple tone to a golden amber.

"Thank you, Ren," Kyoko smiled as she brought the stone up to her cheek, feeling as though it were now imbued with his essence after he kissed it.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading this chapter! I would really appreciate it if you could leave me a review telling me how you're liking this story so far since I'm not exactly sure if it's the same experience for you guys as it is for me. This chapter might have seemed a bit quick in Kyoko and Ren making progress in their relationship (at least compared to the 258 chapters of Skip Beat!), but hear me out since this story has to do with them finding each other time and time again. There's way more time for them to fall in love with each other again and again.**

 **Loyalty counts-** If only Skip Beat! updates were quicker so we could see what happens because of that kiss. I think it was forced, so I'm just crossing my fingers that Kyoko doesn't find out about it or else that might lead to her getting the wrong idea... Thanks for reviewing!

 **ivy-** Hope you liked this chapter! Thanks for the review! :D

 **Chuck Taylor-** I'm glad to hear you like it! Thank you for reviewing!

 **So after reading the latest manga chapter, it seems there was no mention of 11 white day gifts like I talked about in the author's note last chapter that I made after reading the summary by Vampirecat. Wonder where that information came from to be put in the summary...**


	8. Chapter 8

**I know I'm a week late since I've been updating this pretty regularly every week, but I _did_ say that I wouldn't be able to consistently update this fic for a while. Nevertheless, I hope you guys can forgive me for the wait and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Once Ren and Kyoko had bought everything that they needed for their marriage ceremony, they went back home and changed into their newly acquired wedding attire. Hand in hand, they set up the ceremony and knelt down beside each other behind the table that they had gotten for the ceremony placed under a tree outside that provided them some shade from the sun. Ren was clothed in a formal navy blue kimono with a black coat while Kyoko wore the traditional white kimono and headdress that Japanese brides wore.

"Are you ready to start, Ren?" Kyoko asked, a little nervous for what they were about to do but at the same time excited beyond words.

"I'm not exactly sure what to say during this ceremony. I've never been to one," Ren responded.

"Just follow my lead, and we'll be fine," Kyoko smiled. Ren nodded at her and they both turned to face forward.

"I, Mogami Kyoko, ask the gods to bear witness. Starting today I will be married to Ren and will love him with all my heart for all eternity. I will never part from him regardless of fortune and calamity."

"I, Ren, ask the gods to bear witness. Starting today I will be married to Kyoko and will love her with all my heart for all eternity. I will never part from her regardless of fortune and calamity."

As Ren and Kyoko finished their vows, they each took three sips from each of their three cups of sake then Ren looked at Kyoko to see what they would do next. Kyoko took a cup and poured a little into the earth three times then grabbed another cup. Ren followed her action, taking each cup and pouring it into the ground on his side three times as well to follow the Japanese wedding tradition of having the bride and groom's parents take sips from the sake cups. Once they had both finished, they turned to each other.

"Is this where I kiss the bride?" Ren asked jokingly with a grin.

"You may," Kyoko smiled as Ren immediately claimed her lips. She smiled into the kiss and wrapped her arms around him as they embraced. Being in Ren's arms, Kyoko felt finally like she had found where she was meant to be in life. His sensual kisses let her forget all the horrible things that had happened to her from her mother and Sho and all of her duties as the Crown Princess. She was only in a universe with Ren by her side, and their bubble of happiness seemed impenetrable. Ren then grabbed her in a princess hold and carried her to the bed that they had been sharing together for the last few months, smiling that he was finally married to the woman he loved.

...

"Why did you agree to marry Empress Mogami, Sho? I had thought that you were still in love with Kyoko," Shoko asked. Sho was putting the finishing touches on his kimono that he would wear to his wedding to Saena that night. The servants of the palace were running about in preparation for the ceremony, and a few were currently gathered around Sho to make him presentable as the Empress's future consort.

"Everything that I have done is so that I can be with Kyoko," Sho replied but didn't elaborate since he heard the footsteps of someone approaching his quarters from outside. In a few seconds, Saena came through the door. Sho stood up to bow to her.

"Empress Mogami," Sho greeted her respectfully.

"I have come to see you to say that we are a married couple in name only. I won't force you to move into my chambers, so you can stay here and continue living here," Saena said.

"Thank you, Empress Mogami," Sho replied, grateful that she didn't expect more from him.

"Say, why don't we make use of this joyful occasion to let me return back to the land of the Star Kingdom to pay my respects to my clan? The other tribes will see this and realize you majesty's affinity for each and every tribe," Sho asked.

"Rest well tonight then. Tomorrow I will send two of my personal guards with you," Saena replied, realizing that Sho's idea would benefit her political situation as well.

"Actually, I think it would be best if your daughter comes with me. She is the heir to the throne and her accompaniment with me will make my visit seem more important. Also, isn't she going to lead the army in a war against the North Sea? She will be able to meet the leaders if she comes along with me since the Star Kingdom's land is next to the North Sea territory," Sho said.

"Fair enough. I will send Kyoko with you tomorrow," Saena replied before turning around and leaving Sho to his own devices. Sho smirked as his plan worked and turned back to the mirror to fix himself up for his wedding night. All this would be worth it in the end when he finally would be able to marry Kyoko.

…

When Kyoko woke up one morning a few months after she had gotten married to Ren, she smelled smoke. She immediately opened her eyes to look through the doorway and saw part of the hut on fire. A few moments later, Ren came running through the door, covered in soot.

"Come quickly, Kyoko!" Ren said as he took her hand and led them both out of the hut. They both coughed as the smoke from the fire got into their lungs.

"What happened, Ren?" Kyoko asked after her coughing fit.

"I was trying to make you some breakfast," Ren admitted.

"Didn't we agree that I would do the cooking?" Kyoko asked. Ren guiltily nodded his head before remembering something and snapping his head towards the house in concern.

"Our wedding outfits are still in there!" Ren exclaimed as he made a move to enter the flaming house. Kyoko luckily grabbed his arm and pulled him back before he could.

"Look at how big the fire has gotten! Our wedding outfits are already gone," Kyoko told him. She looked at Ren to see him in despair at their wedding outfits being gone. She hated to see him sad and thought of a way to make him happy again.

"Close your eyes, Ren," Kyoko commanded.

"Wha-"

"Just trust me?" Kyoko begged. Ren slowly closed his eyes, and Kyoko took the opportunity to use magic to stop the fire and reverse the damage on the house. When Ren opened his eyes again, he gasped when he saw that the hut was no longer burning. He looked incredulously at Kyoko.

"What did you just do? This-"

"I'm a mortal who has practiced some minor magic," Kyoko lied.

"No wonder your injuries healed so quickly when I first met you," Ren realized.

"Are you mad that I lied to you?" Kyoko asked.

"No. I trust you as my wife, and I trust that you had a good reason to keep this from me when we first met. I'm not mad," Ren smiled at her. Kyoko smiled happily back at him and enveloped him in an embrace where he lightly kissed her forehead.

"What about we go out and get dinner?" Kyoko asked.

"Anything you want," Ren smiled down at her.

...

Once Kyoko and Ren had gotten the equipment they would need to catch dinner and brought a picnic basket for lunch, they set off into the woods. While Kyoko walked around with a basket to pick fruits and vegetables, Ren had brought a bow and arrow to hunt. As Kyoko watched him expertly shoot a quick rabbit, she couldn't help but admire his toned arms that were being shown since he had raised his sleeves to shoot the bow. She couldn't help but think that her husband was the most gorgeous being she had ever seen in the world.

As he went over to get the rabbit, he smiled at Kyoko who smiled lovingly back at him. When he turned around with his back facing her however, she realized that something was wrong.

Earlier, she had cast a detecting spell at the Sky Palace to make sure no one would try to find her in her quarters when she wasn't there, and it seemed like someone had activated the detector. Knowing that the consequences for getting caught with Ren would be disastrous, Kyoko flashed herself over to her quarters in the Sky Palace. As she disappeared, she dropped her basket, and its contents rolled onto the ground.

When Ren turned around with the rabbit in hand, he realized that Kyoko was gone. He looked around nervously and called out her name.

"Kyoko! Where are you?" Ren called as he stood up and walked over to where he had last seen her. However, all that was left was her basket of fruits that seemed as it had been dropped in a hurry.

"KYOKO!" Ren called out again, desperately running around to find his wife.

...

When Kyoko arrived back at the Sky Palace, she quickly cast a spell to change her hair from its auburn hues back to her natural black. She ran over to the doors of her quarters, opening it right as Saena approached the steps leading up to the room.

"Mother," Kyoko immediately bowed.

"Follow me," Saena said as she turned her back, expecting her obedient daughter to follow her. Kyoko followed her to the throne room where Saena sat down on her throne and Kyoko kneeled in front of her.

"Why have you been resting so long? When you returned yesterday, weren't your injuries light?" Saena raised a curious eyebrow.

"I'm afraid that I was busy thinking over the matter with the North Sea and failed to sleep and eat properly. I apologize, Mother," Kyoko lied. Saena scoffed at her daughter.

"I wonder if you are really fit to be Empress if you neglect your own health like this," Saena responded.

"The real reason I needed to talk to you was to tell you that Sho and I were married last night to appease the various clan leaders," Saena began.

"Congratulations, Mother," Kyoko replied, actually impressed that Sho would be so selfless for the Heavens like that. She didn't know he had it in him.

"Soon, you will accompany him on a trip back to the Star Kingdom to worship his ancestors. In reality, I am asking you to go to improve your relations with the various kings and queens of the Heavens since you will become Empress one day. Having Sho with you will help with the process as a pretense for your visit," Saena explained.

"Yes. I intended to meet with them already before the war started and am grateful for this opportunity," Kyoko bowed.

"One more thing, Kyoko. What is on your neck?" Saena asked. Kyoko's eyes widened as memories of Ren flashed through her head. Her hand darted to the bruise on her neck.

"It seems as if not all of my injuries have healed from the fight with the tiger spirit," Kyoko responded, hoping that Saena would buy the excuse.

"Call for the palace doctor and make sure those injuries heal before you visit the leaders with Sho," Saena frowned, believing Kyoko's lie. Kyoko bowed and started her journey back to her room. When she was fully out of sight, Kyoko ran to her room to look at a mirror and gasped at the large red bruise covering her neck.

She quickly used a cloaking spell over the bruise, making it vanish. Kyoko sighed in relief. That was close.

She knew her mother would never allow her to marry a mortal. Except a day in heaven was a year in the mortal realm, and that was only about two months to spend a lifetime with Ren. But she didn't want just two months. She wouldn't be able to part with him.

The only way to prolong their time together would be to bring Ren to the immortal realm, but she couldn't do that either. She had an engagement to Hizuri Kuon of the Fairy Kingdom, and all of the Heavens knew this. From the day she was born, she was doomed to fall into a forced marriage as the next Heavenly Empress. If Ren's existence were to be known, he would be put into an existence worse than death itself.

Kyoko gasped as she realized that she had just left Ren without saying a word. Judging by how long she had spent in the Heavens, it had been almost three months! He was probably incredibly worried!

"I heard you had finally come out of your room," Kyoko whirled around to see Sho smirking at her.

"I've come so that we can set off together for the remains of the Star Kingdom," Sho said. Kyoko smiled a fake smile at him, but inside she was fraught with worry about Ren. She had left so suddenly, but she couldn't visit him when Sho was here.

"Let's go, then," Kyoko replied, following Sho towards the North Sea.

…

When night fell upon the Heavens, Kyoko quickly bounded back to her temporary quarters since she had just finished greeting various generals of the North. Sho had retired to his quarters at the same time as she did, so she ran to her quarters.

"Make sure no one comes in here," Kyoko ordered the guards in front. They bowed respectfully in front of her before closing the doors, leaving Kyoko alone finally. Immediately, she teleported herself to the mortal realm and changed her hair color to auburn.

She ran into the hut she shared with Ren, expecting that he would be there since it was night, but she was shocked to find their bed empty. Running into the woods, Kyoko approached the spot where she had last disappeared and found Ren sitting against a tree with his eyes closed and his arms around the basket she had dropped in her hurry. As she approached him, she stepped on a branch, waking him up. His eyes widened when he saw her, and he immediately stood up, running over to embrace her. She encircled her arms around his shaking form, guilty that she had left him alone for so long.

"Kyoko, I've missed you so much," Ren muttered into her hair.

"Do you know that you've been gone for over half a year? You left without saying anything," Ren's voice quavered.

"I had something important to take care of," Kyoko responded.

"Why didn't you tell me before you left? It seems like you never tell me anything about yourself. Let me take on some of the burdens you have to face by yourself as your husband. I want to help," Ren leaned his head down to kiss her.

"I'm so sorry," Kyoko lifted her head to kiss him. As she pulled back, she looked at his features in the moonlight, noticing that he had bags under his eyes. She reached her hand out to touch his face gently, guilty that he had lost so much sleep during her absence.

"Let's go home," Kyoko said as she grabbed one of Ren's hands with her own. He smiled at her as she led him back to their hut, making her feel even more guilty since he didn't even reprimand her for her extended absence. How could he forgive her for such a thing?

* * *

 **Alas, our couple is destined to have some setbacks in their relationship. We'll just have to wait and see how they deal with these setbacks...**

 **I'm not sure if I'll be able to release a chapter next week, but I will surely be able to release a chapter in two weeks! I'll try my best to try releasing a chapter next week, but we'll have to wait and see if I can do it!**

 **Thank you to all of those who reviewed last chapter!**

 **Ivy-** I'm glad that you enjoyed their relationship blossoming pretty quickly! I think after such a long wait for them to get together in the manga, it's nice to have Ren and Kyoko confess and come together without any fuss. At least for now. I hope some of your questions were answered this chapter, but you'll have to wait and see for some of the other ones. And for my story to be one of your favorites in English really means the world to me! Thank you for reviewing!

 **Guest-** Sorry that I'm a week later than usual, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for the review!

 **paulagato-** When I read your comment, I didn't know that the manga had been going on for 16 years and had to do a double take! I can't believe it's been that long! I've only been following Skip Beat! for a couple of years now, and I can't imagine it having gone on for 16 years with little to no progress between our favorite couple! Hopefully they end up together soon, but I'm nervous that the author is going to end the series with an implication instead of fully showing their relationship. I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter, and thanks for always leaving me reviews! It brings a smile to my face every time I see a review from you!


	9. Chapter 9

**I should have more time now to write, so hopefully I can update weekly if not more frequently than that. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thank you for supporting me in writing this fic!**

* * *

As Kyoko and Ren woke up next to each other the next morning, Kyoko sadly exited the bed before Ren grabbed her hand, stopping her with a worried look in his eyes.

"You're leaving again?" Ren asked, hurt that she was leaving again. Kyoko put her other hand on his own, trying to comfort his shaking form. "For how long?" Ren asked as he tried to commit her face to his memory before she left again.

"One year. Or possibly two years. I'm so sorry," Kyoko said quietly. Ren looked down dejectedly.

"When I married you back then, I only wanted to be by your side for our whole lives. I can't believe that after only half a year of bliss, we have to go years without seeing each other," Ren said as his voice trembled from the sadness overtaking him. Kyoko looked at him sadly, her eyes tearing up. She didn't know what to say to comfort him, and she felt horrible for hurting him like this.

"But I guess it's just two years. I can wait," Ren sighed as he let go of her hand. She feared he was closing in on himself, and she realized she had a way to console him. Kyoko reached into her robes, procuring an object with her magic.

"Please take this," Kyoko said, holding out a pendant with a blue stone in the middle, the same stone that had been her wedding gift.

"Wait! Isn't this-"

"It's made out of half of the stone that you bought me as a wedding gift. The other half is still with me," Kyoko said as she procured the stone from her pocket. Although smaller now, she had used a spell to polish the surface that was cut so the stone fit nicely in her palm still.

"If you speak into it, I'll be able to hear you no matter where I am. If I'm not busy, I'll be able to talk with you," Kyoko explained before Ren enveloped her in an embrace.

"Please don't make me wait too long. I'm afraid that one day I'll find you outside my hut again drenched in blood, and I won't know what to do or what happened to you," Ren's voice cracked, scared that the images in his head would come true.

"Ren? Would you still be with me even if I had nothing?" Kyoko asked.

"We don't have much here anyways in material possessions, but I'm still here, and I'm very much in love with you, Kyoko," Ren kissed her forehead.

"I'm in love with you too," Kyoko replied as she leaned up to kiss Ren on the lips. As she pulled away, she looked down guiltily.

"Could you close your eyes?" Kyoko asked. Ren immediately obeyed her and she felt a pang of guilt shoot up her throat. She didn't deserve him if he trusted her so easily when she was about to hurt him.

"Please wait for me," Her voice trembled as she kissed him once more and vanished. When Ren opened his eyes to see her missing, he ran outside calling her name, but she had already vanished. He stood in the doorway, rooted in sorrow as he would have to spend another two years without his wife.

...

When Kyoko was back to the immortal realm, a few tears fell from her eyes. Wiping her tears away with her sleeve, she cast the spell to change her hair back to black and held tightly onto the blue stone in her hand. She wanted to be with Ren, but she was stuck with a problem. As the Crown Princess, there was no way anyone would accept her marriage to a mortal, so that meant the only way to be with Ren would be to stop being the Crown Princess...

Kyoko's eyes widened as she came up with an idea. If she were to fake her death, she could spend the rest of her life with Ren in their hut together. And the upcoming war was a perfect opportunity to fake her death!

Kyoko felt refreshed with a new sense of vigor. Today Sho was going to visit his ancestors in the morning alone and then they would meet up afterwards to speak to the generals of the area. She had still some time before she had to meet him though.

Kyoko went to open the door and smiled widely as she saw the raven-haired beauty waiting for her.

"Mo! I was beginning to think you'd left already," Kanae grumbled.

"Moko-san!" Kyoko smiled, not enveloping her in a hug yet since they were being watched by the guards.

"Chiori and I have been waiting in the tea parlor to meet with you once we heard that you were in the area. We have very much to talk about," Kanae's eyes pierced Kyoko like a tiger stalking its prey. Kyoko shivered in fear at Kanae before following her to the tea parlor and seeing Chiori waiting for the two of them.

"Amamiya-san!" Kyoko smiled.

"It's been so long since the group has been together," Chiori commented with a smile. Kyoko and Kanae took their seats around the table.

"Remember that day we became friends? We had all gone to the mortal realm and were watching this one play at the same time about this man and woman trying to be together even though their families kept them apart. When the two lovers ended up committing suicide together since their families wouldn't let them be together any other way, I remember when we all groaned and Moko-san yelled out that dying for your lover was stupid. Everyone glared at us for disrupting the play, but we found friendship with each other," Kyoko smiled remembering the memory.

"But now, Kanae-san's and my opinions have changed on love. I'm getting married next spring while Kanae-san lost her position as a princess of the Sky Palace to be with Hiou-kun. We've changed quite a bit," Chiori remarked.

"And I've gotten married to a mortal," Kyoko muttered. Chiori and Kanae both spat out the tea that they were drinking in surprise.

"WHAT?!" They both chorused.

"Shhh! We can't let anybody hear about it!" Kyoko whispered to her stunned friends.

"How did this happen, Kyoko-san?!" Chiori asked, her voice at a normal level this time. Kyoko quietly relayed the tale of Ren finding her in a cave as a wounded snake and taking her back to his home. She talked about how she had to reveal her dragon form to protect him then went back to meet with him in her human form. They spent months together, and Kyoko realized that she had fallen in love and rejoiced when she found out that Ren loved her too and wanted to marry her.

"What about your engagement to Hizuri Kuon? And what about your mother?" Kanae asked.

"The world will never allow me to be married to Ren as long as I'm Crown Princess. That's why I'm planning to fake my death in the war against the North Sea. Someone will find out about Ren and me eventually, and my mother won't let him off easy if she finds out about us. I'm afraid this is my only option," Kyoko replied.

"What about being Empress in the future? Haven't you been training for it all your life?" Chiori asked.

"If I have to choose between being Heavenly Empress or being together with Ren, then I choose Ren," Kyoko replied resolutely.

"Your affection for him really runs deep then, huh?" Kanae grumbled, a little annoyed that someone now held a bigger part of Kyoko's heart than she did.

"Yes," Kyoko blushed.

"Oh, so that's why that thing is on your neck," Chiori said. Kyoko's eyes widened in embarrassment as she covered up the new bruise with her magic again. She had to tell Ren to stop doing that…

"I thought that was just part of the injury you got from that tiger spirit! I thought you were sweet and innocent?!" Kanae blanched.

"Ehh…" Kyoko blushed in embarrassment.

"Everyone changes according to their circumstances, Kanae-san. You had to have known that Kyoko would have at least had to try to produce an heir as Heavenly Empress, right?" Chiori asked, making Kyoko blush even more.

The trio turned to the door as a knock was heard. Kyoko, who was closest to the door, opened it to reveal a smirking Sho.

"Hey, Kyoko, I met some of the generals on my way back and they agreed to meet with you in the restaurant connected to this tea parlor. We can't keep them waiting, now can we?" Sho asked as he grabbed Kyoko's hand without her consent. Unbeknownst to him, Kanae and Chiori looked at each other in disgust at Sho's obvious affection for Kyoko. They had never liked him, but Kyoko had told them before that she thought of him like a brother since he was always there when she needed a break from her studies. Still, they didn't really like the arrogant fake-blonde immortal.

"I hope I see you guys later," Kyoko bowed towards Kanae and Chiori before Sho pulled her out of the room. She hoped it wasn't the last time she saw her friends before she decided to carry out her plan.

As Kyoko followed Sho to the private room of the restaurant, she immediately smiled politely and bowed in front of the generals kneeling around the table.

"It's very nice to meet you, generals," Kyoko said.

"Ah! So you're the crown princess! No wonder why you're considered the most beautiful woman in the Heavens. It's nice to meet you," One of the male generals said as his eyes roamed over her body. She felt exposed and tried to turn her body away to look at the other generals.

"And congratulations to you, Fuwa-san, on your marriage to Empress Mogami!" Another general said.

"Thank you," Sho said as he and Kyoko took their spots near the head of the long dining table and kneeled to sit down.

"I'm fully prepared to help you all in ending this feud with the North Sea by going to war," Kyoko announced, not responding to the compliments of the generals.

"We appreciate the help, but it seems like the situation is a little bit more complicated now. The tensions at the North Sea are being caused by the part of the Ghost Kingdom that was sanctioned to the North Sea's territory. The residents of that region are still loyal to King Reino, so they're trying to rebel as the Ghost Kingdom did 70,000 years ago. There was an uprising just a few days ago that resulted in that region now being controlled by the self-appointed "Pixie Queen" that led the rebellion," One of the female generals said.

"Who is this new queen?" Kyoko asked.

"Morizumi Kimiko. Her family was a highly ranked military family of the Ghost Kingdom until her region was given to the North Sea as reparation costs by the Ghost Kingdom. She used to be a disciple of the great god of war, Rick, until she betrayed them to help the Ghost Kingdom during the war 70,000 years ago," Another general piped up.

"It seems as if the situation is more dire than we initially thought then. Part of the North Sea's territory includes the Far Sea am I correct? And that's where King Reino is being held captive?" Kyoko asked.

"Yes, Crown Princess. King Ishibashi wants to marry off one of his sons to pacify the situation, but this will still result in Morizumi Kimiko's control over the Far Sea. Also, it seems as if she will not take the offer."

"Could I ask why not?" Kyoko asked. A few generals snickered in reply, and she found herself raising a confused eyebrow.

"Please excuse my colleagues, Crown Princess. They seem to find it amusing how Morizumi Kimiko announced that the only person she would ever consider marrying is Fairy Kingdom King, Hizuri Kuon," One of the older women said as she glared at the other young generals whose laughs gradually dimmed down.

"But Hizuri Kuon is engaged to Kotonami Kanae already, so that won't happen."

"Has the news not spread yet about the change in the Sky Kingdom and Fairy Kingdom's marriage arrangement yet? It might have been overshadowed by my marriage to Empress Mogami," Sho asked. The generals around him all looked at him, confused that the marriage had been changed.

"It seems as if the Crown Princess is now engaged to Hizuri Kuon instead of Kotonami Kanae who fell in love with Uesegi Hiou without thinking about the consequences. Luckily, our Crown Princess was there to save the Sky Kingdom from her mistake before the Fairy Kingdom could become angry about it," Sho explained.

"Congratulations on your engagement, Crown Princess!" The generals all immediately cheered.

"Thank you, generals," Kyoko replied, suddenly more uncomfortable since she was reminded of her engagement to the Fairy Kingdom's king whom she had never met before.

"As for the situation at the North Sea, I'm sure that we will have to go to war now to solve the problem. I ask if you all are willing to be by my side as we fight for the peace of the Heavens once again. I wasn't born yet when the war against the Ghost Kingdom happened, but I've read extensively on the subject and know that we can't let King Reino be freed again. Many of you fought in that war, so I ask that you all consider in rallying your troops to fight for our peace once again!" Kyoko declared. The generals all grinned at her.

"It would be a pleasure for us to follow you into battle, Crown Princess," the generals all announced as they raised their cups. Kyoko picked hers up as well and nodded her head, signaling that everyone could drink.

...

As Lory, Julie, Kuu, and Yashiro arrived at the Far Sea, they felt an eerie chill through the air as they passed into the entrance of the cave. Lory led the group as the most well-trained fighter of the bunch, but he froze as he saw the ice pillar that Reino was encased in and no blonde-haired king in sight.

"Kuon's not here," Lory announced.

"No... Boss, you don't think-"

"I'm afraid that he did come here to check on Reino and saw that the ice was melting. That's why there's this difference in ice right here where Kuon attempted to refreeze the ice," Lory replied, cutting Kuu off.

"So where is he?!" Julie asked worriedly.

"I'm assuming that Reino sent Kuon somewhere for trying to imprison him again. Kuon has been sent on a heavenly trial, so I have no idea when or if he'll be back," Lory frowned.

"So you're saying that we have no idea where Kuon was sent and that he might not ever come back?!" Julie cried out.

"What are we supposed to tell the Sky Kingdom? The wedding between Kuon and the Crown Princess will need to happen soon!" Yashiro wondered.

"Let's tell them that Kuon used up most of his powers imprisoning Reino again and is going into seclusion for a while to recuperate. In that time, we will look for him," Lory explained as Julie went over to Kuu and cried into his shoulder.

"Don't worry, honey. I know for a fact that Kuon's still alive out there. We'll just have to wait until he comes home," Kuu said as he rubbed Julie's back to comfort her. He had a feeling that Kuon would come back, and he just hoped that he was right.

...

As Kyoko said her goodbyes to the generals with promises of trying to persuade the North Sea king to go to war, she put her hand in her pocket to touch the stone that was in there. She quickly ran to the bathroom and took out the stone, smiling when she found it to be shining a brilliant amber.

"Kyoko? Are you there?" Ren asked through the stone. Kyoko's heart melted at his velvety voice carrying to her ears. It hadn't been too long for her since she had last heard his voice, but still she couldn't help but smile.

"Yes," Kyoko smiled warmly.

"Good. I was beginning to wonder if the stone was working or not," Ren chuckled.

"I've been practicing my cooking skills, so maybe I'll be able to make you a meal when you come back," Ren joked.

"If you don't burn down the kitchen again, I would be happy to try anything you make," Kyoko giggled.

"Even if it's not as good as your food?" Ren asked.

"As long as you put the effort into making something for me, I'll eat it graciously."

"Hey, Kyoko? Can I ask you something that I've been thinking about recently?" Ren questioned nervously.

"Sure. What is it, Ren?"

"I was thinking, maybe if we had a child together who could stay by my side then I wouldn't feel so lonely when you leave all the time. I was just scared that you wouldn't want to have a child so I wanted to ask you for your opinion on it," Ren divulged slowly, anticipating her response. If Ren could see her, he would have been dazzled by the brilliant smile she wore after hearing his question.

"Do you want a boy or a girl?" Kyoko asked, making Ren smile heavenly as she agreed to his request.

"So that means-"

"Tell me when I get back. I'm excited to see you again, Ren. I love you," Kyoko smiled.

"Okay, Kyoko. I love you too," Ren responded as the stones in both of their hands changed back to their original bluish purple.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading this chapter! And a special thank you to those who reviewed last chapter!**

 **Girl-** I'm so glad you're enjoying the story thus far!

 **Ivy-** Hope this chapter didn't disappoint! I'm happy that you like the story! And I should be thanking you for reading since writing is my passion, and I love to share my stories with people!

 **paulagato-** Kyoko did leave Ren a way of contacting her this time when she left, so he was a lot calmer this time since she also told him she needed to leave instead of disappearing suddenly. I hope you liked the cute moments between them this chapter! As for Sho's plans, you'll just have to wait and see what happens...


	10. Chapter 10

**I was planning to update weekly, but because of the overwhelming support and reviews that I've gotten over the past few days after last chapter, I decided to upload this chapter earlier. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 _'Why does Master always have to dote on Kuon?!' Koga thought as he watched Rick and Kuon laugh at a joke that Rick had just told Kuon. All of Rick's disciples were seated at a table, eating dinner together that had been made by Koga, but Koga just couldn't understand why the bond between Rick and Kuon was so strong._

 _All in all, Rick had ten disciples: Hiromune Koga as the senior disciple, Matsunai Ruriko, Ishibashi Hikaru, Ishibashi Yuusei, Ishibashi Shinichi, Momose Itsumi, Hidehito Kijima, Morizumi Kimiko, Oohara Airi, and Hizuri Kuon._

 _Koga was jealous that Kuon, who was the newest of the disciples, was even closer to Rick than he was! Koga remembered the days fondly when it was just him and Rick training. Ah, the good ol' days._

 _And to top it all off, all of the female disciples were head over heels in love with Kuon! And he wasn't even trying to gain their affections! The latest female disciple to fall for him was Momose Itsumi after he had smiled and helped her up after he had beaten her in a sparring match. That damn smile was too enticing to females! Koga knew that those of the Fairy Kingdom were renowned for their beautiful appearances, but to see this kind of thing happen up close was astounding. It made Koga kinda hate the guy._

 _…_

"You're back already? Are you ready to report on your meeting with the generals?" Saena asked. Kyoko took a bow in front of her.

"It's necessary that we go to war since otherwise the North Sea's king will marry one of his three sons to Morizumi Kimiko who has taken control of the self-proclaimed Pixie Kingdom that is the cause for tension in the North Sea. If she ends up with control of the Far Sea region of the North Sea in any way, then she might free King Reino from his ice prison. This is why we must immediately put a stop to this so that the actions of 70,000 years ago aren't repeated again," Kyoko relayed.

"So what do you propose we do about that pesky King Ishibashi?" Saena narrowed her eyes, daring her daughter to give a satisfactory proposal.

"I will go myself to persuade the king to change his ways," Kyoko replied.

"Won't this raise Morizumi Kimiko's suspicion when the Crown Princess goes to talk with the king of the North Sea?" Saena asked as she scrutinized Kyoko.

"That's why I want to ask if I can go undercover to persuade the North Sea's King. It won't draw any unwanted attention, and I will be able to change his mind quickly as the Crown Princess," Kyoko replied.

"If this matter is not resolved within a few days, then I will start the war without King Ishibashi's approval. I sincerely hope that you can change his mind for his sake before he's labeled as a traitor for going against me," Saena frowned. Kyoko bowed and stood up, quickly leaving Saena alone in the throne room.

 _..._

As Ren came back to his hut from chopping firewood, he dropped the bundle he was carrying and ran inside since he had seen smoke coming out of the chimney. He only knew one person who would be cooking at his home.

Ren's mouth turned into a huge grin at seeing his wife again cooking at the kitchen. Running up behind her, Ren enveloped her in his arms.

"I'm home," Kyoko said as she inhaled his scent and closed her eyes in bliss at being with him again.

"I missed you so much, Kyoko," Ren said as he pressed small kisses to her head.

"Do you know it's been a year and nine months since you've left?" Ren asked as he held her tighter.

"I know," Kyoko said guiltily.

"I'm worried that the next time you come back, I'll already be old. Maybe you'll have found someone better, or maybe your family doesn't like me and you married someone else. You don't have another husband, do you?" Ren asked as he stared nervously into her eyes.

"No. You're the only man I've ever married. And I'm making plans for us to stay together for a long time so that we can grow old together instead of being apart all the time," Kyoko said, soothing his worries until he glanced down at the pan of meat and vegetables she was cooking.

"Kyoko! The food!" Ren exclaimed as Kyoko immediately turned back to her cooking and made sure it didn't burn.

"That's a lot of food..." Ren gulped.

"Since I'm back, I'm going to make sure you're eating right. We're going to finish all of this food together!" Kyoko grinned.

After Kyoko had finished making a couple dishes, she brought them to the dinner table which Ren had set. Picking up her chopsticks, she smiled at him to signal that he could start eating. When the food hit his tastebuds, Ren smiled and took another bite, having missed Kyoko's excellent cooking. Maybe there was a chance he could finish the food since it tasted so delicious.

"I have to go far away again soon," Kyoko smiled sadly.

"Take me with you this time," Ren responded, setting down his chopsticks to take hold of her hand and squeeze it.

"Ren, I can't. It's too dangerous," Kyoko replied as she looked down sadly into her bowl of rice.

"I don't care if it's dangerous. I would rather be in danger and with you than alone and safe. Please, Kyoko. I don't care what happens to me, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Even if we have to always be on the run because of dangers, then I still choose to be with you," Ren said, determined to convince her to let him come with her.

Kyoko didn't want Ren to be in danger since she was traveling to the immortal realm, and he was only a mortal, but she really did want to spend time with him. Since she would be going undercover and her mother wouldn't contact her until she was done, it was an even better opportunity to spend time with Ren. Besides, she would probably be gone for almost a decade in the mortal world, and she didn't want to leave Ren alone for such a long time.

"Okay then. We leave tomorrow morning," Kyoko smiled, making Ren grin at her.

"Really? I thought you would offer up more resistance," Ren admitted.

"I don't want to keep leaving you alone here for years on end. I want to be together," Kyoko smiled before Ren got up from the table to come to her side. She widened her eyes in surprise as he leaned down and used his fingers to lift her chin and meet her lips in a loving kiss. Kyoko smiled against him and kissed back, happy that she was back with him.

...

The next morning, Ren woke up earlier than Kyoko and started to get ready for their journey. He only had one bird that he had taken in recently, and it had pretty much healed already, so he let it fly away.

"I apologize that I can't feed you anymore," Ren said as the bird flew off. After letting the bird go, Ren went back to the bed to see Kyoko starting to put on her clothes. She smiled at him as she put on her cloak and held out her hand which he happily took. Ren helped her off the bed, and they set off together with Kyoko leading the way, only with a few weapons, their matching blue stones, a basket of food, and the clothes on their backs.

They walked for the whole day towards their destination, talking and laughing together after so long of not seeing each other. At one point when Kyoko had wanted to take a break since they had been walking for so long and since Kyoko was used to teleporting herself to get to places, Ren immediately picked her up princess style and walked like that until they came upon a shaded forest where they had lunch. She giggled at how prince-like he always was and how she really did feel like a princess with him.

Once they had rested for some time, Kyoko grinned mischievously and placed a flower on Ren's ear, making him look absolutely adorable. He grinned back at her and did the same, giving them matching hair accessories. He caressed her cheek as he looked upon her beauty and brought her hand to his lips, gently kissing it. Kyoko grabbed his other hand and placed it around her waist while she placed her hand on his shoulder. Understanding what she wanted to do, Ren smiled and started to lead them in a ballroom dance to imaginary music. Kyoko giggled as he twirled her multiple times and yelped when he suddenly dipped her. He laughed at her reaction to his antics, and the two locked hands to continue on their journey together before it would get too dark.

When it was nearing night, Kyoko froze as she felt a magical presence coming towards them. She instinctively drew her weapon and just in time as a band of bandits launched themselves at the pair. Ren took out his own sword, standing back to back with Kyoko as they fought the bandits off. The bandits didn't think they would be such good fighters, so they tried to use magic to forcibly push them back, but Kyoko immediately threw up a magical shield to protect them. She looked over her shoulder to see a man aiming a fireball at Ren, and rage built up inside her. Kyoko cast a column of water towards the man who stumbled backwards, his fireball immediately extinguished.

"Stop right there!" A man shouted, making the bandits look at each other in fear and start to retreat. Kyoko looked around to see a group of soldiers approaching them, a man on a horse leading the group. She turned to Ren and looked around him to see if he was hurt in any way.

"I'm fine, Kyoko. You didn't get hurt, right?" Ren asked as the soldiers approached the pair. The leader dismounted his horse and looked between the pair, confused why this immortal woman looked curiously like the Crown Princess who he had seen at a generals meeting not too long ago. But why did she have auburn hair? And to top that off, she was wearing a pale pink robe instead of the telltale deep purple of the royal family.

As for the brown-haired man, the general was reminded of a fellow disciple almost 70,000 years ago. This man looked almost exactly how he would expect Hizuri Kuon to look after so many years, but he had brown hair and brown eyes instead of the Hizuri king's telltale green eyes and blonde hair. And on top of that, the man had no immortal breath.

"Who are you two?" The general asked. Kyoko looked at him, seeing his opulent armor and guessing that he was of high rank. She vaguely remembered seeing him while talking with the generals with Sho. Kyoko looked at Ren who only looked back at her, confused on what they should respond with.

"May I speak to you in private?" Kyoko asked, looking around at the soldiers behind the man. He nodded, and they broke off from the group.

"I'm Crown Princess Kyoko and I've come here on an undercover mission. Aren't you one of the generals of this region?" Kyoko asked.

"Oh! Yes! My name is Ishibashi Hikaru! It's an honor to see you again, Princess! No wonder you looked so familiar!" Hikaru exclaimed. He started to bow before Kyoko placed a hand on his shoulder and stopped him.

"Please don't bow to me here, Ishibashi-san. I don't want anyone else to know of my identity. Including that man," Kyoko said, motioning to Ren.

"I understand. Please call me Hikaru so that you don't confuse me with my brothers or my father," Hikaru smiled. "Why are you here at the North Sea, Crown Princess?"

"I'm here to try to persuade your father to go to war," Kyoko responded.

"Ah! I remember you saying that you would try to stop him from marrying one his sons off to Kimiko-san," Hikaru realized.

"Actually, I'm the son that he plans to marry off, so I'm personally glad that you've come," Hikaru smiled.

"Let me lead you to the Crystal Palace," Hikaru announced so that everyone could hear. Kyoko motioned for Ren to come over, and he immediately took her hand with a smile. Ren didn't know why, but he felt a little possessive of her around this guy.

Kyoko and Ren followed Hikaru's troops until they came upon a gate where the ground changed from forest to sand once you stepped through it.

"We're entering the immortal realm now. Time here moves slower, so hopefully you two don't have anyone waiting for you in the mortal realm?" Hikaru asked.

"We only have each other as husband and wife," Ren replied, bringing Kyoko's hand to his lips. Hikaru smiled at him before stepping through the gate, and everyone else followed him as he led them through the North Sea territory towards the Crystal Palace. At one point, Hikaru's troops departed, leaving him alone with Kyoko and Ren whom he led inside the Crystal Palace himself. The palace maids and butlers greeted him as he walked inside, and he led both Kyoko and Ren to a guest room.

"Thank you for letting us stay here, Hikaru-san," Kyoko smiled.

"No problem! Let me know if you two need anything else!" Hikaru smiled back, leaving the two alone.

"It's surprising that we get to stay in such a nice place. Do you know Hikaru-san well?" Ren asked with a sparkly smile to hide his jealousy. Kyoko looked at him quizzically before smiling.

"I've met him once before. He's nice to let us stay here. I haven't been here before, so would you like to go look around?" Kyoko asked. Ren nodded, and the two left their possessions in the room and exited the Crystal Palace.

Once outside, the two linked hands and walked along the beach together. Neither of them had been to a beach before, so it was a new experience that both thoroughly enjoyed. At one point, both took their shoes off to walk barefoot through the sand and play a little in the waves until it started to get dark. They started to head back before Ren spotted Hikaru and two other men out of the corner of his eye, sitting on natural rock formations around a tide pool. He unconsciously drifted over to crouch behind a rock so he could listen to their conversation, wanting to know more about this man who Kyoko seemed to know.

"You've met the Crown Princess?! Is she as beautiful as they say she is?" The blonde one of the bunch asked.

"She's extremely polite and very cute. If only she wasn't marrying Kuon-san, or I would surely try to court her. But alas, you know how much of a ladies man Kuon-san was," Hikaru laughed.

"Yeah, we stand no chance if she's already been seduced by Kuon-san. You remember how he got all of the female disciples to fall in love with him eventually? Man, he even got Momose-san!" Shinichi chuckled.

"We wouldn't have stood a chance anyways. We're just princes of the North Sea. She wouldn't be able to marry anyone lower in status than the royal family of each kingdom. We're just district princes in the North Sea of the Water Kingdom. She's going to become Heavenly Empress in the future. I heard that when she was born, the Heavens lit up and colorful birds chirped and flew around the Sky Palace. The Crown Princess was also the youngest immortal to ascend to the rank of high immortal after enduring bolts of heavenly lightning. I've heard stories of her studying up to 14 hours a day straight. We can't possibly keep up with someone like that," Shinichi groaned.

"You know it's not that polite to eavesdrop on people right, Ren?" Kyoko whispered, embarrassing Ren on getting caught.

"Well I just found it interesting what they were taking about. The Crown Princess sounds like an interesting woman," Ren replied back. Kyoko tiptoed away with Ren so that the three men wouldn't know that they were ever there while trying to stifle a laugh from her amusement at Ren's interest in the Crown Princess. She wondered what he would say if he knew he was married to her.

* * *

 **I know it was just one paragraph, but I really liked the mental image of Kyoko and Ren laughing and dancing together. I wish we could see that in the manga, but it'll probably be another few years if the author even puts a scene like that in the manga.**

 **Thank you to all who reviewed last chapter!**

 **Ezra-** I'm glad you're enjoying the story! Hope you liked this update!

 **H-Nala-** Hopefully I can get out chapters maybe even more regularly than every week like I did today!

 **Guest-** I hope you thought Ren and Kyoko were cute in this chapter as well!

 **IVY-** I'm so glad you love to read my story! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

 **Paulagato-** This chapter primarily focused on Ren and Kyoko spending more time together, so I hope you enjoyed that! Lory and Kuu won't be looking for Kuon anytime soon since they have no idea where to start, and it won't be a while until they find him. The next few chapters will be more on Ren and Kyoko more than Saena and Sho, so we'll have to see what happens to them later...


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello again! I'm glad to be able to release this next chapter earlier than I expected, so I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Being here on this beach with you is actually my first time traveling somewhere new like this. It's been a better experience than I could ever possibly imagine," Ren smiled as he stood with Kyoko in the sand barefoot, the waves occasionally tickling their feet.

"It's my first time too on a beach. Sometimes I wished when I was little that I could go out and explore the world without a care in the world, but I never got the opportunity. I'm glad that I've been able to explore this place with you," Kyoko smiled as she leaned up to give Ren a kiss on the cheek.

"Maybe sometime in the future we can travel somewhere else together," Ren offered giving Kyoko an idea.

"Who says we can't do it right now?" Kyoko asked as a grin spread onto her face.

"I know of a place where every day the scenery changes so that you're always surprised when you see what the owner has changed the scenery to that day," Kyoko explained.

"Where is it?" Ren asked, intrigued by such a place existing.

"Close your eyes and I'll take you there," Kyoko smiled. Ren closed his eyes, and she took his hand, transporting them both to LME, Lory's Majestic Environments. When Ren opened his eyes, he was greeted with a beautiful sky full of reds, oranges, and purples dancing across the gradually dimming sky. He looked to Kyoko who stood smiling up at the most beautiful sunset she had ever seen. They were standing alone in an open field that seemed to span for ages in each direction with only the two of them seeming to be standing under the gorgeous sky.

"It seems like he decided to make today an eternal sunset," Kyoko remarked.

"Who's in charge of this place? Do you know him well?" Ren asked.

"I've seen him a few times before. He isn't here right now though, so that's why I brought us here. It'd be inconvenient if he saw us here now," Kyoko responded. Ren looked down at her lovingly before she leaned up to kiss him. They stayed together in each other's arms for a while, just happy that they could spend this time together under a beautiful sky. It was almost as if this moment could last a lifetime.

...

"I'm sorry, Ren, but today I have to do some official business. You're welcome to come with me," Kyoko said as she rose from bed out of Ren's arms that tried to keep her there.

"As long as I get to be together with you," Ren said as he brought her hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss on it, making Kyoko blush.

The two got ready and met Hikaru on their way out. Kyoko smiled at him in relief that she had bumped into him.

"Excuse me, Hikaru-san, but would you happen to know where the military camp for the North Sea is?" Kyoko asked.

"Of course. I can show you there," Hikaru responded with a smile, happy to spend some more time with the Crown Princess. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, and she was extremely sweet. Hikaru would be lying if he said he didn't have a crush on her.

"Oh! We wouldn't want to inconvenience you like that."

"It's no inconvenience at all. Follow me," Hikaru said as he started walking out of the Crystal Palace, prompting Kyoko and Ren to follow him.

After a short ten minute walk, they arrived at a military camp where soldiers that had gone into battle with the Pixie Kingdom invaders were being treated for their wounds. Kyoko made to go into the medical tent but stopped as she realized Ren and Hikaru were behind her.

"There's many wounded people in this tent, and it wouldn't be wise to add more people to the crowded space. May I go in by myself?" Kyoko asked. The two men nodded and stood outside while Kyoko entered the tent.

"So how long have you two been married?" Hikaru asked once Kyoko had went inside.

"Almost 3 years," Ren replied.

"Ah. I wonder how her parents reacted when she told them she married a mortal," Hikaru said.

"I don't think she's told her parents about our marriage. But why would it matter that she married a mortal? Do her parents really have that high of expectations for her that they wish for her to marry an immortal and be granted immortality?" Ren asked.

"Actually, marriage between mortals and immortals is forbidden since it always results in broken hearts after the death of the mortal. That's why I was confused why you two had been able to be wed if it was known that you were a mortal and she was immortal," Hikaru said.

"She's an immortal?" Ren asked in surprise, finally realizing the truth.

"Yes. I guess I forgot that you mortals can't see immortal breath," Hikaru laughed awkwardly. Maybe his own feelings had gotten in the way when saying these things, but now he felt a bit guilty at having revealed a lie Kyoko had told Ren. Hikaru liked the Crown Princess, but he didn't want to be a home wrecker.

...

As Kyoko entered the tent and saw the dozens of injured soldiers, she had to resist the wave of nausea that overtook her. She wasn't sure why she was feeling nauseous around the sight of blood right now since she had seen it so many times before, and it hadn't fazed her then, but she shrugged it off as she felt herself feeling a bit better after a few deep breaths. She looked around at the injured soldiers who had wounds almost everywhere ranging from leg injuries to abrasions on their faces and slashes across their chests. Her heart went out to the poor soldiers who had been injured when fighting against the Pixie Kingdom, and she knew she had to stop the leader, Morizumi Kimiko. Kyoko exited the tent, seeing Ren and Hikaru in a conversation. Suddenly though, the nausea from earlier came back, and Kyoko found herself having to hold her hand over her mouth as she felt herself about to throw up.

"Kyoko! What's wrong?!" Ren rushed to her side right when he saw her discomfort. Hikaru looked at her in worry as well. She lifted her hand away from her mouth for a second in preparation to respond, but she cupped her hand over her mouth again when the nausea felt like it was about to overtake her completely. Ren picked her up princess style and looked worriedly at Hikaru.

"Is there a physician who's free around here to check on her?" Ren asked. Hikaru nodded and brought them over to an empty medical tent where Ren set Kyoko on the bed while Hikaru went to find a physician. In a few moments, a disgruntled old man came in with Hikaru and looked over Kyoko, checking her pulse immediately. His eyes widened in surprise before checking her pulse again and turning towards Hikaru, not knowing if he should reveal what he had found. He grabbed a bucket from nearby and gave it to Kyoko while turning to Ren since he was the one holding Kyoko's hand. He was probably the reason behind Kyoko's dilemma.

"What is it?" Ren asked.

"It seems as if this young lady has the pulse of someone who is pregnant," The physician responded, making everyone's eyes widen in surprise. Kyoko threw up once before sighing in relief.

"That's what it is?" Kyoko asked.

"May you two step outside?" Ren asked Hikaru and the doctor who nodded and complied to his demand. He was Kyoko's husband after all, and this was supposed to be a private moment between the two of them.

"Is what the doctor said true, Kyoko?" Ren asked. She nodded, and Ren immediately enveloped her in a hug. She smiled as he kissed her lovingly, giggling at his excitement.

"I think we have to go back to prepare for the baby's arrival. Let's depart in the next couple of days," Ren entreated.

"I can't. I have to stay here, but I think you should go back and get the things we'll need to raise our child. There's lots of things we must buy, and we have to clean the house and move around furniture-"

"I can take care of all that, but I can't let you stay here with a child on the way. It's too dangerous," Ren looked at her with the utmost concern.

"This is the last time. I promise. I'll be back before I even start to show," Kyoko replied. Ren considered her proposal for a few more moments before sighing.

"If you have to, then fine, but I'm going to make sure to check in with you more frequently than before. I'm not sure why you need to stay, but I trust that it's for good reason," Ren acquiesced.

"Thank you, Ren," Kyoko smiled as she tried to get up to hug him, but he put a hand on her arm to stop her and sat her back down.

"Are you this worried now that you know I'm pregnant?" Kyoko smiled in amusement. Ren let her get up by herself, realizing his previous overbearingness.

"Sorry. I might be a bit more anxious now about your wellbeing than before," Ren confessed.

"I understand. You're going to be a father," Kyoko smiled.

"And you're going to be a mother," Ren chuckled as they met each other in a happy embrace.

…

"I won't be content until you finish at least one bowl of the dinner I prepared for us," Kyoko quipped. Ren smiled at her concern for his eating habits and picked up his chopsticks to eat. He knew it helped him eat more when her food was so tasty.

"If you're an immortal, why would you need to learn how to cook?" Ren asked with a sparkly smile, trying to hide his anger at her earlier lie. Kyoko's eyes widened in surprise at his accusation.

"How did you know I was an immortal?"

"Hikaru-san let it slip when you were in the tent earlier. Is there a reason why you didn't tell me the truth before?" Ren asked, still smiling brightly.

"I guess I was just ashamed that I hadn't told you when we first met before we got married. I didn't want you to distance yourself from me just for being a mortal because I love you more than I could love any immortal. They say that an immortal who marries a mortal will only end up with a broken heart at their different lifespans, but I didn't want you to feel guilty about that. I'm sorry for lying to you for being a mortal when I wasn't," Kyoko looked down guiltily into her bowl of rice. She kept her eyes down until Ren would reply but looked up in concern when he didn't respond for an extended period of time. She was surprised at the new soft smile on his face.

"Maybe I should have noticed earlier anyways with the magic that you're able to perform. There's no need to apologize for being something that you were born into. You couldn't control it, but it makes you who you are. And that person is who I fell in love with, not the classification of what type of being you are. I'm not mad," Ren said, but he did feel guilty that she would outlive him and would be left alone after he was gone.

"But I would still like to know, how did you learn how to cook so well? I thought immortals were, well, immortal and wouldn't need food to survive?" Ren asked.

"Actually, we still need to eat to fulfil our appetites. I learned how to cook my own meals from one of my tutors as a child in between my studies. It was a nice break from the endless barrage of knowledge that was imparted on me day after day," Kyoko reminisced with a grin, thinking back on the happy memory.

"What were you like as a child, Kyoko?" Ren asked, now interested after the sudden glimpse into her past.

"Well, my mother actually had lots of difficulty giving birth to me. It was after seven days of labor pains when I finally popped out," Kyoko shuddered, worried that she would suffer the same fate.

"Then your mother must dote on you very much after such difficulty in giving birth to you?" Ren asked but worried he had said something wrong when Kyoko's expression turned grim.

"I can't say that she ever really doted upon me. On the contrary, she usually left my upbringing to this one family friend who had another child who she was taking care of that she had adopted. That child was actually doted upon far more than I was and didn't have the intense academic schedule that I had. From the moment I was born, my mother had high expectations for me and made me study for 14 hours straight every day starting at dawn. If I failed her expectations, then she would be disappointed and-" Kyoko paused as she thought of her mother's beatings and constant string of vulgar words that expressed her disappointment.

"It's okay. I don't want you to have to talk about uncomfortable matters," Ren said, sensing her unease. She smiled softly at him, glad that he wouldn't ask her further about the uncomfortable subject.

* * *

 **More Kyoko and Ren this chapter, but we'll be getting more into the war next chapter. A special thank you to all who reviewed last chapter!**

 **Crazy4Animation-** If this chapter is any indication, Ren will be surprised when he learns of Kyoko's identity, but he'll be accepting since he really does love her and wants to accept every part of her. Since this fic is based on Eternal Love, most of the scenes will play out the same way, but of course I left out a lot of things (like the secondary couple) and have changed many things to adhere to the Skip Beat! characters (like gender swapping the main leads). As for that scene in question that you're asking about, I guess you'll have to wait and see exactly what happens because it's coming up soon, but most likely it'll be similar with a few small changes to fit the characters. I'm glad you liked last chapter!

 **Ivy-** I'm glad you enjoyed last chapter! Thank you for continuing to read my fanfic!

 **H-Nala-** I agree with you there. We're getting close to big conflicts and my favorite parts of the series this fic is based on, so stay tuned for those too!

 **paulagato-** He didn't know she was even immortal last chapter, so of course he wouldn't know she was the Crown Princess as well! He never would expect that! XD. He'll find out soon about her real identity... As for him no longer being immortal, it's not soon when they fix it since it'll be about another ten or so chapters, but it's coming up on the horizon. Thanks for always reviewing each chapter!


	12. Chapter 12

**Woah! Two chapters in less than 24 hours wow! And this one's a little over 4000 words! Originally, I had split this chapter in two, but I decided to merge them to make one longer chapter. I hope you enjoy, and a special thank you to those who reviewed because you guys inspired me to release another chapter so quickly based on last chapter's feedback!**

* * *

Kimiko scoffed as her attendant informed her of a banquet that the North Sea's king had invited her to. They just wanted her to marry one of his sons to avoid war, but it wouldn't work on her! She knew that the North Sea would be hers sooner or later, and she wouldn't sacrifice herself to gain what she wanted! It was much better to go to war than to be forcibly married to a cowardly North Sea prince!

"Send them Cedric in my stead. He'll make sure my intentions are clear. Make sure they know that this marriage proposition won't work and that we aren't to be regarded lightly," Kimiko smirked.

"Yes, my Queen," her attendant replied, running off to fetch Cedric D. Bennett, Kimiko's lead general, to take Kimiko's place at the banquet. There had been rumors that Kimiko was closer to her general than she let on, but who knew if those rumors were true?

…

"My apologies for my eldest son not being here. It seems he has gone off somewhere without telling me," King Ishibashi apologized to Cedric who had come by Kimiko's request.

"No problem. My queen doesn't want to marry that child anyways," Cedric responded, making Hikaru's brothers have to stifle their laughter at the height of the eldest Ishibashi.

"Ah, well if Hikaru isn't up to her standards, would she be interested in any of my two other sons, Shinichi or Yuusei? All of them used to be disciples of the same god of war, Rick, right? They must know each other well," King Ishibashi forced a smile even after this general had insulted his son.

"My lady didn't send me here today to talk about marriage proposals. The Pixie Kingdom will not be bought by a marriage proposal," Cedric narrowed his eyes in disgust.

"Father!" Hikaru called out as he ran up to the table with Kyoko following behind. Her characteristic auburn hair was back to its natural black tresses now.

"How dare you interrupt us after showing up late!" King Ishibashi snapped.

"There has been a mutiny in our troops!" Hikaru announced.

"A mutiny?" Cedric asked in disbelief as he rose up.

"Ah, please don't misunderstand-"

"It's said that the king of the North Sea is irresolute and unaccomplished. It seems that the rumors are true, and that makes me disappointed," Kyoko frowned as raw hatred seeped out of her in waves, making the air go down a few degrees.

"You! How dare a low immortal like you act so arrogantly in front of me?!" King Ishibashi yelled.

"Perhaps I'll take this one off your hands. She would be a perfect match for me, maybe even better than Kimiko herself," Cedric smirked at Kyoko as he reached out to touch her shoulder, but she shot him away with a spell, sending him tumbling onto the ground.

"I would suggest you speak more respectfully to the Crown Princess," Hikaru said as he bowed in front of Kyoko. The other around her all bowed in surprise that the Crown Princess was there, even Cedric. King Ishibashi quickly went down into a dogeza in front of her, realizing how horribly he had treated her.

"Please rise," Kyoko requested.

"I was unaware of your visit to the North Sea, Crown Princess. Please forgive any rude remarks I might have said to you," King Ishibashi bowed again after rising.

"Disrespect to me is not any worse than disrespect to your own citizens. This matter with the Pixie Kingdom was never reported by you during the Kingdom Leader meetings, and it was only through your son that I was able to obtain information that you had withheld from the Sky Kingdom. And now I find that you're currying favor with the Pixie Kingdom's representative and not attempting to do anything about your own mutiny! You failed to ensure peace in your own kingdom, but it's downright horrible that you can't even protect your own family," Kyoko scoffed.

"Cr-crown princess, please s-spare my life!" King Ishibashi wailed as he went into a dogeza.

"Father, the Crown Princess is here to help us with the Pixie Kingdom problem. To save your life, don't you think you should be doing something?" Hikaru asked.

"A sacrifice must be made," Hikaru elaborated as his father looked at him in fear.

"I can't! The Pixie Kingdom is already bloodthirsty, and this representative is Cedric D Bennett! I heard that the Pixie Queen holds special affections for him. If we really do kill him, and we don't win this war, then I'm afraid they'll annihilate the whole North Sea!" King Ishibashi panicked.

"Any more hesitation to do this, and I'm afraid you'll be faced with a death sentence," Hikaru replied. King Ishibashi sighed in nervousness, but after a few moments he became determined and looked confidently to his guards.

"Guards, seize this Pixie Kingdom representative! Behead him as a sacrifice!" King Ishibashi declared. His guards grabbed Cedric who struggled but couldn't get out of their grasps.

"You'll pay for this with your lives! My queen won't let your kingdom get away from this without murdering every single inhabitant! She will massacre your whole kingdom!" Cedric shouted as the guards took him away.

"Crown Princess, the North Sea's troops only number 10,000, so I ask that you lend me some troops to bring back peace to my province."

"Since you have firmed your resolve, I will gather assistance to help you defeat the Pixie Kingdom," Kyoko replied, agreeing to his request.

"Thank you, Crown Princess!" King Ishibashi bowed, grateful he hadn't been executed.

...

"My queen!" Kimiko's primary attendant screamed in horror as she ran up to Kimiko with something wrapped in a cloth in her arms. Kimiko pulled back the cloth and felt her heart break. No...

There in the cloth was Cedric's head completely sliced off his body. Kimiko wanted to cry, but another emotion overtook her sadness. Fury unbeknownst to mankind bubbled up from her.

"Who did this?!" Kimiko screamed.

"I was told that the Crown Princess was determined to defeat you," Her attendant replied.

"Crown Princess, you will pay for this with your life and the rest of the lives in the North Sea!" Kimiko cried out as she unsheathed her precious Soul Slayer, a blade that was powerful enough to kill even the Crown Princess herself.

...

"Ren," Kyoko murmured as she gently touched his shoulder, waking him up from his slumber.

"Mhhm?" Ren responded, still groggy from sleep.

"Take my hand," Kyoko smiled. Ren, now almost fully awake, took her hand, and she transported them both back to their hut. Ren smiled a heavenly smile at her, making her weak in the knees.

"Are we staying here now?" Ren asked, hope in his eyes.

"Well actually, I still have things to take care of at the North Sea, but I promise that I'll be back in a few months," Kyoko said guiltily since she had to leave him alone again.

"Please don't do something dangerous, Kyoko. You have to remember that you're pregnant with our child. I don't want to see either of you hurt," Ren said, worried for her safety.

"I promise I'll be careful. You can call on me whenever you want to check on me, and I'll try to answer if I'm available," Kyoko reassured him, touching the pendant he wore with the blue stone in the center.

"Then I'll make sure to contact you to show you my progress in baby-proofing the house," Ren quipped, making Kyoko laugh and kiss him on the cheek.

"I'll see you soon," Kyoko said before transporting herself away back to the immortal realm.

...

"So you're confident that you can perform to my expectations this time?" Saena asked as she finished looking at a report on the situation in the North Sea that Kyoko had given her.

"I am certain this matter will be resolved in only a few months. I guarantee it," Kyoko responded confidently.

"Then you can start immediately on rallying our troops. The sooner this matter is dealt with, the better," Saena replied.

"Yes, Mother," Kyoko said as she begun to turn away.

"One more thing, Kyoko. I expect for you to come back immediately after winning the war to be wed to Hizuri Kuon. I've been told by the past king and queen, Hizuri Kuu and Hizuri Julie, that he went into seclusion after using most of his power to enforce the bonds holding King Reino in the Far Sea. He should be coming out soon, and when he steps out then you will be wed," Saena added.

"Yes, Mother," Kyoko replied and turned around, leaving the throne room. She felt sorry that Hizuri Kuon would be losing another fiancé after Kanae had renounced her marriage arrangement for her love with Hiou, but she knew she was doing the right thing for her own happiness. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with Ren, and the only way to do that was to fake her death and get out of her duties as the Crown Princess. It was time for her to finally do something for her own happiness rather than others'. Never did she think she would be doing something in the name of love, but here she was. Funny how the world worked.

As Kyoko walked out of the throne room, many servants bowed upon seeeing her and congratulated her for her engagement. She only nodded her head in response and continued on, almost nearing the edge of the Sky Palace before Sho walked in front of her with a scowl on his face.

"Kyoko!"

Kyoko stopped for a second before brushing past him, not even looking at him for one second. This only riled him up further.

"Kyoko!" Sho called again to her quickly retreating form. She didn't stop for one second. Sho scowled. Why did she keep ignoring him? How would he get her to listen?!

Her work ethic was infuriating to him! It seemed as if she only greeted him anymore out of duty or through orders from her mother! Why did she suddenly start to do this recently?!

...

 _As a young Kyoko ran through the palace towards Sho's quarters, she slowed as she came to knock on his door. She heard voices behind it and was about to turn to leave until she heard that they were talking about her._

 _"Empress Mogami gave me this guitar today as a thank you gift for tricking Kyoko into not visiting her friends. I'm getting good at this," Sho bragged._

 _"Why do you keep tricking Kyoko like this? I thought you were her closest friend," A female voice wondered._

 _"I love her, Shoko! It's just that I can get things that I want whenever I listen to Saena and make Kyoko do things that she otherwise wouldn't do. You know she wouldn't have started to study war tactics unless I convinced her to. Saena wanted me to convince her to study, so I did, and she rewarded me. It's a win win situation. Kyoko doesn't need to know," Sho assured her._

 _"Does Empress Mogami also ask you to make her do your chores? I doubt she would be pleased to know that Kyoko was cooking your meals for you," Shoko responded._

 _"Of course she doesn't know! But who else can say they have the Crown Princess wrapped around their finger willing to do anything for them?" Sho asked cockily._

 _Kyoko had heard enough. She felt tears in her eyes as she ran back to her room, teleporting past people so they wouldn't see her crying. She had thought that Sho was her friend, but now she knew that he had manipulating her the whole time. So what if he loved her? He sure didn't act like he did._

 _…_

Kyoko quickly teleported herself to Kanae's palace, knowing that this was her last chance to talk to her friend before faking her death. She was relieved when she caught Kanae exiting the door.

"Moko-san!" Kyoko smiled, not running up to give her a hug since the guards were watching her.

"Kyoko? What are you doing here?" Kanae wondered.

"Could I talk with you?" Kyoko asked. Kanae quickly nodded, leading her inside to her private chambers and instructing her maids to leave the room. Once they were alone, Kyoko finally spoke.

"I'm here to say goodbye," Kyoko looked down guiltily.

"I know," Kanae replied.

"So you're really willing to give up the throne to be with this mortal, huh?" Kanae asked.

"I won't be a good ruler if I take that position reluctantly, so maybe someone else would be better suited. Maybe Mother will be able to find an even better successor quickly after my death," Kyoko replied.

"I also wanted to ask if you would be willing to help me," Kyoko continued.

"Mo! Of course I will! I'll tell Empress Mogami myself that you were killed and that there aren't any remains!" Kanae replied.

"Thank you so much Moko-san!" Kyoko hugged her. Kanae hugged her back, knowing that this was the last time she would be able to do so. She began to regret always dodging Kyoko's hugs in the past since now she would never receive one again after Kyoko faked her death. She really had grown to love Kyoko as her dearest friend.

…

Ren wiped his brow as he finished the new addition to the house he had built. It had taken a month, but the room for his and Kyoko's new child had finally been built, connecting to their main bedroom so that the baby would have their own room as they grew up.

He hoped that Kyoko would come back soon, but he still had many preparations for their upcoming arrival that he would have to finish. Sometimes he felt like a secret beau that Kyoko attempted to hide from her family since she was ashamed of him, but he knew he had definitely gotten married to her. He wondered where she was now, whether she was safe or not, and if she thought about him, but he didn't try to reach her via his blue stone since he knew she was busy, and he didn't want to disturb her even if she would answer him. He just hoped she would come back soon.

…

As Kyoko stood inside the military tent that had been set up, King Ishibashi and Hikaru came in and bowed to her along with Hiou and Kanae following behind.

"I have brought 30,000 soldiers who are willing to risk their lives for your orders, and my three sons are willing to lead them into battle," King Ishibashi bowed along with Hikaru.

"My region has sent 10,000 soldiers to you, Crown Princess, to also aid in winning this war," Hiou bowed as well along with Kanae. Kyoko was about to thank the both of them before another figure dressed in the most ridiculous battle outfit Kyoko had ever seen came into the tent as well. Who dressed up in all of those chains for a battle like this? And who showed up to a war with their chest completely bare?! Sho had even changed his hair into a weird silver color and his eyes into a flaming red. Why was he trying to look like a demon?! Kyoko nodded to her guards who left the tent along with the leaders who had entered, leaving her alone with Sho.

"What are you doing here, Sho?" Kyoko asked, trying to hide her annoyance at his intrusion and his ridiculous getup.

"My entire kingdom sacrificed their lives for the Heavens 70,000 years ago. Today, all of the various leaders of the Heavens are here, and I asked Empress Mogami to don battle gear and fight alongside all of the other leaders even though my kingdom was decimated and I am the lone survivor."

"Have you even touched a sword before, Sho Besides coming to put on a show here, why have you come?" Kyoko questioned him as her eyes narrowed at him in anger that he was disrupting her like this.

"I am willing to die beside you," Sho replied.

"Whether you think it is possible or not, your ridiculous delusions on love will not come true between us. Don't forget your place," Kyoko glared at him.

"You do know that Hizuri broke off his engagement with Kotonami Kanae to marry you? Who can predict if that would happen again?" Sho argued.

"How dare you say that about King Hizuri! That's not even the truth behind why I'm now engaged to Hizuri Kuon! Leave this tent right now! We are almost at war! I will not forgive you if you hold us back," Kyoko felt her anger take hold of her as she took one last glare at Sho before storming out of the tent to catch up with King Ishibashi and Hiou.

"We will send our troops out tonight," Kyoko announced to them.

"Tonight? Why are you in such a hurry, Your Highness? The Sky Kingdom's soldiers have just arrived and are not yet familiar with the waters of the North Sea," King Ishibashi asked in surprise.

"You're thinking what Morizumi Kimiko is. You all think that I'll rest our troops a few days before attacking, but they have their guard down right now. Tonight is the best night to attack. Gather all the soldiers. We head out this evening," Kyoko repeated, leaving no room for discussion. King Ishibashi hurried off to tell his soldiers along with Hiou, leaving Kanae behind with Kyoko. Kyoko walked away towards a tent, hoping that Kanae was following her and was relieved when she turned around to see Kanae closing the cloth covering the entrance to the tent.

"You know Sho's appearance today brings some new variables into your plan. If he sees any mistakes in your plan-" Kanae started to say before being cut off by Kyoko.

"I won't make any mistakes tonight. A cut from Morizumi-san's Soul Slayer is sure death," Kyoko responded.

"Mo! Are you serious?! You intend to take a blow? What happens if it actually does kill you?" Kanae worried.

"I will make sure the blade doesn't slash me too deeply so that the injury seems severe but I don't get killed. Please just send me to a secret location afterwards and tell Mother that I died and disintegrated into thin air like smoke," Kyoko requested. Kanae nodded, nervous about what was going to happen that night.

…

Kyoko and the various clan leaders, all on top of horses, stopped as they approached Kimiko and her soldiers who were just finishing setting up their own military tents. The soldiers quickly assembled into their formations as they saw their enemy approaching. Kimiko herself gritted her teeth upon seeing Kyoko, unsheathing her famous Soul Slayer blade to intimidate her. Kyoko was unfazed by it.

"You murdered my Cedric, Crown Princess! I won't let you escape with your life intact, and I'll enjoy watching you sliced apart by my Soul Slayer!" Kimiko grinned wickedly. In response, Kyoko only unsheathed her own sword.

"Attack!" Kyoko raised up her sword and yelled, all of the clan leaders buckling their horses to charge forward as Kimiko's troops did the same.

Back in the mortal realm, Ren began to feel a sense of unease. He hadn't done that much work that day since it had been raining the whole time and couldn't help but feel worried. Ren clutched the pendant around his neck.

"Kyoko?" Ren asked. After he heard no reply, he began to get even more worried. He hoped that she was just asleep and couldn't respond because of that or was busy with an important matter that warranted her complete attention.

However, Kyoko was currently in battle, her sword clashing against Kimiko's as they both attempted to land a hit on the other. Both had abandoned their horses, opting for combat on the ground instead. Kyoko ducked, missing a slice that Kimono attempted to make to her neck, and blocked a slice that Kimiko tried to make to her shoulder. Kimiko used her strength to push Kyoko's sword out of the way, slicing Kyoko right across her breast deeply. Even though Kyoko felt the pain of the slice, she powered through and stabbed Kimiko through the center with her own sword. Kimiko gave a shriek before dissipating into smoke.

Kyoko immediately dropped to her knees, her injury causing her to cough up blood. Her hand darted to her pocket, taking the blue stone out, and she started to cry, realizing that she had failed in her plan and had allowed herself to be cut too deeply by Kimiko's blade.

Ren felt his heart suddenly drop and reached for his pendant in worry. He watched as it began to glow amber and felt himself freeze when he heard what was coming out of it.

"Kyoko! Hold on! Wake up! Please wake up, Kyoko!" A female voice rang out.

"Kyoko? What's wrong?!" Ren asked in worry. All he heard were exclamations of Kyoko's name, asking her to wake up, and Ren felt like he was about to lose his world.

"I'm coming, Kyoko!" Ren said as he ran out of his hut into the rain.

As Kanae lifted Kyoko up from the ground and supported her on her shoulders, Kyoko went unconscious and dropped her precious stone to the ground, an action only noticed by Sho while everyone else was helping Kanae to bring Kyoko to get medical care.

Sho picked up the blue stone and heard a small voice coming out of it. He brought it closer to his ear to hear a man shouting Kyoko's name in worry. Who the hell was that?

As Ren ran out of the barrier surrounding the hut he and Kyoko lived in, he called out for her again while clutching his pendant, trying to figure out which direction they had gone in to get to the immortal realm.

He didn't realize who had appeared behind him, the blonde-haired immortal immediately realizing that Kyoko had been living with this mortal for who knows how long after seeing the hut behind him. Sho immediately cast a spell, putting Ren immediately to sleep where he fell to the ground, his hand still clutched around his pendant, a last final cry for his love barely escaping his lips in a whisper.

* * *

 **And that was some major story progress. Now Sho's found out about Ren and Kyoko's fatally injured, so what will happen to our favorite couple?**

 **Erza-** First of all, I would like to apologize because I've been misspelling your username this whole time! Whoops! I'm glad you thought last chapter was cute! Ren was able to forgive Bo easily and said that he would forgive anyone if they sincerely apologized in canon, so that's what guided me through the scene where Ren confronted Kyoko on her lie! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

 **Ivy-** I'm glad you like the quick story progression! Your comment was actually one of the main reasons why I decided to update again so soon, so I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

 **Ashenvale-** Now that Ren's been found out by Sho, he's going to find out very soon who Kyoko really is! Maybe next chapter? :3

 **Crazy4Animation-** I'm so glad you're liking this story! If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask away!


	13. Chapter 13

**Sorry for the delay since I was supposed to upload this fic weekly. I was having some trouble with staying true to characters' personalities since we haven't seen Ren or Kyoko ever really struggle with losing one another yet in the manga like in this fic. I hope that after countless edits and rewrites, this chapter stays true to Kyoko and Ren's characters. This chapter marks the starting point of what I consider part 2 of the fic, so get ready for some troubles in the Sky Palace!**

* * *

As Ren started to regain consciousness, he realized that he was being dragged up some steps by two soldiers. He tried to look around, confused as he saw the bluest sky he had ever seen around him. It was like he was somewhere where there was no ground, only the sky. There were several magnificent buildings suspended in the sky, and all were connected by stone pathways floating between each building including the pathway Ren was being dragged through on his way to an opulent, open-aired throne room with embellished marble columns around all sides holding up the ceiling to provide shade from the bright sky. The soldiers finally threw him down to an amethyst rug when he was in front of a menacing woman sitting on a purple velvety throne with silver trimming around the seat. Around the throne, two guards were stationed at both sides of the woman dressed in white armor holding large spears that Ren felt were pointing at him even though they were upright. Where was he?

"Who are you?" Saena asked, confused why a mortal had been brought to her.

"Where's Kyoko?" Ren asked, looking around to see if she was possibly there.

"How do you know the Crown Princess?"

"I don't know the Crown Princess. I just want to find Kyoko," Ren replied, not sure why the woman was asking him about the Crown Princess. How would he know someone as important as her?

"How dare you speak the Crown Princess's given name?!" Saena growled. Ren attempted to stand before the guards next to Saena pointed their spears at him, stopping his movement.

"I did not tell you to rise. How dare you rise? Don't you know that you are in the Sky Palace?!" Saena yelled.

"Who are you? How dare you act so impudently in the Sky Palace? Nobody will save you! Even if it was my daughter, she wouldn't dare to save you. Guards! Throw this mortal into the dungeon!" Saena ordered. The two guards that had brought him in immediately took hold of Ren, and he couldn't get them off him no matter how he tried since they were insanely strong. They dragged him towards the steps, and he struggled to escape.

"Please! No! Let me see my wife! She's pregnant, and I'm afraid she's in danger!" Ren yelled out. He couldn't get locked up before finding out if Kyoko was okay or not!

"Stop! What did you just say?" Saena asked as the guards forced him to turn back towards her.

"Empress Mogami!" The palace medic called out as he ran up the steps to bow in front of her.

"I finished examining the Crown Princess and stabilizing her condition, but she was found to be pregnant! Luckily the cut didn't touch her womb, but it is still unsure if she will pull through," The medic relayed. Saena's jaw dropped. Kyoko was actually pregnant with this mortal's child?! There had to be some sort of mistake!

"How dare you violate heaven's law?! Not only did you illegally marry my daughter, but you impregnated her!" Saena yelled. Ren still wasn't understanding what Saena was saying. It seemed like she thought he was married to the Crown Princess, but he had been talking about Kyoko!

"Empress Mogami!" Kanae called out as she hurriedly ran up the steps and went into a dogeza in front of Saena.

"It's not known whether Kyoko herself will survive her injury, but her baby is still alive. I am willing to suffer the punishment for this mortal so that Kyoko's child will still have its father to raise the child. I only wish for her child to have at least one parent to care for it," Kanae begged. Chiori ran into the throne room as well and immediately went into a dogeza next to Kanae, having heard about what happened to Kyoko.

"I am also willing to take the mortal's punishment if the Crown Princess does not survive and is not able to take care of her child. This mortal has to be able to raise the child in her stead. If the Crown Princess doesn't wake up, please let us at least give her child one of their parents to raise them," Chiori begged. Saena pondered their suggestion for a few moments before sighing, deciding that she at least needed a level head before she decided the mortal's fate and the fate of his and Kyoko's child.

"Guards, take this mortal and lock him up in the vacant hall near my daughter's palace. Place a strict watch on him. I'll decide what to do with him if Kyoko wakes up," Saena ordered, moved by Chiori and Kanae's proposal.

"Thank you Empress Mogami," Kanae and Chiori both bowed. The guards grabbed Ren, dragging him across the Sky Palace to the vacant building that Saena had instructed them to take him to.

As Ren was thrown into the dusty hall, the door was shut behind him and locked. He stood up immediately and tried to pull it open but to no avail.

"Let me out! I want to be with Kyoko! Let me out! Don't die, Kyoko!" Ren banged on the door. He slumped to the ground as he realized that they wouldn't let him out and put his head in his hands, worried that Kyoko was already dead, and he had no means to find her.

…

Kanae held onto Kyoko's hand through the night and gasped as she finally saw Kyoko's eyes flutter open.

"Kyoko! You're alive!" Kanae smiled as she squeezed Kyoko's hand, not wanting to envelop her in a hug since she was still injured.

As Kyoko realized that she was in the Sky Palace, she began to realize her plan had failed and tried to sit up, tears spilling from her eyes at the pain from her injury. Kanae immediately helped her lie down again.

"Wh-what happened, Moko-san? Where's R-Ren?" Kyoko asked through the pain.

"Kyoko, three days ago, you were wounded in the battle against the Pixie Kingdom by Morizumi Kimiko's Soul Slayer and your husband dashed through the barrier you put up around your hut in the mortal realm," Kanae explained. Kyoko struggled to breathe after she heard that. If Ren had left the barrier, then immortals would be able to find him! Their relationship could be found out!

"You dropped your blue stone and Fuwa-san found it, capturing Ren and bringing him to Empress Mogami," Kanae continued.

"No! No! She'll kill him!" Kyoko shouted as tears spilled from her eyes. She attempted to sit up, only to be stopped by the excruciating pain of her injury.

"Don't sit up! You're pregnant and injured!" Kanae warned her, holding her back.

"Let go of me! He's going to be executed!" Kyoko cried out, trying relentlessly to push Kanae's hands away.

"Kyoko! Listen to me! Stop aggravating your injury! You have to stay alive! If you die, then who will vouch for your husband? Empress Mogami will surely give him a fate worse than death!" Kanae said as she grabbed Kyoko's hands to stop her struggle who then began to sob.

"Please tell me he's fine. Is he being tortured right now?" Kyoko said in between labored breaths caused from her crying.

"Chiori and I were able to convince the Empress to wait until we found out your condition before deciding anything. He's only been locked up in the unused hall outside your palace. If you get well soon, then I can take you to see him," Kanae soothed her, rubbing her back.

"No! Don't let people know yet that I'm awake," Kyoko responded.

"Why not? Don't you want to see him sooner?"

"From the moment my mother found out of his existence, it was no longer possible to be with him. The only way to save his life is to make my mother think that he holds no importance to me," Kyoko started to cry again as Kanae wrapped her arms around her, careful to not hurt her.

…

A few days later, Kyoko woke up, clutching her chest in pain and coughing. She sat up, Kanae quickly grabbing a bucket and letting her throw up into it. It was at that moment that the door to the room opened, revealing Sho who started to approach them.

"Get out!" Kanae yelled, but Sho only seemed to move closer.

"You are trespassing in the Crown Princess's chambers! You are only the Empress's consort! Get out immediately!" Kanae shouted.

"But-"

"You aren't helping anybody by being here, so why don't you take your useless self and leave! Stop believing in those wild delusions you have!" Kanae glared at him. Sho looked over to see Kyoko who was lying down again after her coughing fit, and Sho decided that he would reluctantly leave until she felt better. At least now he knew that she was alive.

…

Ren looked up as the doors to his prison opened and a maid came in with a tray of food. She set it down in front of him and turned to leave before he grabbed her arm.

"Please. Tell me, is Kyoko still alive? Is-" Ren tried to ask before she threw off his grip and ran out of the room. All Ren could do was clutch at his pendant as a last resort. Maybe she would respond this time?

"Don't die, Kyoko, please," Ren wished.

Sho, who had just left Kyoko's room, grabbed the blue stone out of his pocket when he heard it emitting a sound again.

"Please, Kyoko. Say something so that I know you're alright, please," Ren begged. Sho felt rage build up inside of him. How had Kyoko let a mortal get her pregnant like this? He was going to make sure that mortal suffered for this! And to think he claimed that he was married to her! How dare he?

…

Saena had waited a few days, finally hearing news from Sho that Kyoko was at least alive. She decided that she would pay a visit to her daughter and scold her for her mistakes once she could take visitors.

"How could you be so irresponsible?! You started the war right on the night when the armies all gathered together!" Saena yelled as Kyoko sat up in bed. Sho peeked in through the door that had been left open, quietly stepping inside as well.

"I'm sorry for my mistake, Mother. I will take any punishment you deem necessary for my action," Kyoko bowed her head. Saena tried to school her expression after realizing she wasn't the only one in the room, and Kanae decided to leave the room at that point, the medic following her out. Once they were out, Saena let her rage show fully on her face.

"A few days ago, a mortal was brought to me who claimed to be your husband and the father to your child. I was told by the medic that you were indeed pregnant. What is going on?" Saena frowned. Kyoko acted confused for a second before responding, hoping that her acting would suffice to trick her mother.

"Oh, that mortal! When I was carrying out your order to kill the tiger spirit that was plaguing the mortal realm, I was partially injured. That mortal rescued me, so I repaid him and didn't know that I would end up pregnant from it," Kyoko answered, knowing that every word she said made her seem like she was a loose woman.

"Since it was only for repayment and turned out to be an accident, it is not a big issue, but you shouldn't be so careless next time. You shouldn't feel the need to repay every person who helps you since the Sky Palace can deal with that. However, since the mortal in question is the father to your child and lied about being married to you, I will keep him locked up in the Sky Palace as part of his punishment for lying about being your husband," Saena said.

"Yes, Mother," Kyoko bowed her head.

"Empress Mogami," Sho addressed Saena with a bow. She turned to him.

"Since the mortal is already staying in the heavens, why not issue a decree to make him a side consort to the Crown Princess? When the baby is born, it will be mocked by other immortals if the father of the child has no title," Sho bowed.

"I cannot allow that. He is a mortal, and we will not be able to properly explain to the Fairy Kingdom why he was made into a side consort. I will not allow that," Saena responded before turning to walk out. Sho looked at Kyoko for a second before following behind Saena out of the room, scanning her face to find any untruthfulness in her explanation behind it, but he couldn't find any. Kanae reentered the room after they had left.

"You do know that it's impossible to guarantee his safety forever in the Sky Palace?"

"When I have the opportunity, I will have him drink the water from the River of Oblivion to forget about me completely so our relationship will end, and he will be safe," Kyoko responded, tears leaking from her eyes again. If the only way Ren could live would be to forget all about her, then she would have to accept that. Kyoko realized at that moment that love was not what she had originally thought it was. It had been happy and the best feeling she had ever experienced the past few months, but there was now pain from the realization that her love would only kill her most precious person in the end. It hurt to realize that expressing her love now would only result in torture for her husband. She couldn't be with Ren anymore, and it was killing her inside.

* * *

 **Usually I write a backlog of chapters, and I've already written this whole part 2 of the fic, but I anticipate lots of edits and rewrites since it was really difficult for me to write angsty bits and see characters suffering :(. Next chapter should come out in a week or less since it wasn't as hard to write as this one. See you all next week!**

 **On a side note, this fic just hit 50 reviews! Thank you to all who have been leaving me reviews as they always brighten my day!**

 **paulagato-** Luckily Kyoko, Ren, and their baby are safe, but Sho's angry and out for revenge on Ren for getting married to Kyoko. He's starting to get scary, and he'll be getting a lot worse soon. The last fic I wrote tried to redeem Sho, but here I'm just making him a full-on villain who's crazy in love with Kyoko.

 **Erza-** Even though he didn't do anything to Ren yet except for turning him into Saena, his long-term plans for Ren are worse than you can ever imagine. An angry Sho especially one angered on Kyoko's behalf is dangerous. As for Ren getting his memories back, I'll just say that there's only two ways he can get his memories back, and one of them is having Reino willingly take the seal off his memories and powers while the other... let's just say that Ren will eventually regain his memories the other way...

 **Crazy4Animation-** Glad to hear you're liking my story :D. Sho's always been an annoying obstacle between Ren and Kyoko, and here he's going to be even more of a pest than in the manga since he actually knows here that he loves Kyoko. Kuon won't resurface for a while, and I think you know how he'll regain his past self if you watched the drama that this is based on. I'm pretty much following the drama until he regains his memories back and then I'm divulging a bit, so get ready for the angst of the next few chapters until Ren gains back his memories...

 **Guest-** It'll be revealed later on, but I guess there's no harm in telling you right now. Kyoko and Ren's child is actually going to be fully immortal since Ren's powers are only hidden and his immortal aura hidden as well, so the baby will inherit Kuon's immortal powers as well as Kyoko's and be immortal.

 **H-Nala-** Kyoko is still alive and immortal, and Ren's not going to return to being Kuon yet until a few more chapters ;).

 **Ivy-** I know that cliffhanger was a horrible place to leave you guys on, but Kyoko luckily didn't lose her baby! Thank you for continuing to read my fic!

 **Guest-** Glad you're liking the story! Hope this chapter didn't disappoint!


	14. Chapter 14

**Hope you enjoy this chapter! It is a little shorter than usual, but next chapter should be longer!**

* * *

As Sho and Saena exited Kyoko's room, Saena turned to frown at Sho.

"I had thought you were smarter than this. Why did you suggest something so incredibly stupid as to marrying that mortal to my daughter?" Saena asked, disappointed in him.

"I watched Kyoko drop this stone on the battlefield and heard that mortal's voice coming from it," Sho said, taking out the blue stone. Suddenly, the stone started to shine a golden amber, a voice coming out of the stone.

"Please, Kyoko. Just tell me you're alright. I just need to see you. I just need to know if you're alive," A voice choked out. Saena's eyes widened in realization. That was the voice of the mortal!

"She was lying! It's obvious there's something more between her and that mortal!" Saena exclaimed.

"Yes. That's why I suggested the plan. If we can get the mortal to stay at the palace, then we'll be able to better control both him and Kyoko. We wouldn't want another Kotonami Kanae incident happening, right?" Sho smirked, knowing his plan was working. Kyoko wouldn't be able to protect that mortal from Saena's wrath if he had anything to say about it.

...

"I need you to follow me."

Ren looked up from his knees to see a beautiful raven-haired woman standing in front of the open door. Wasn't this the woman who had vouched for him earlier?

"Who-"

"My name is Kotonami Kanae, and I've been a friend of Kyoko's since we were young immortals. I'm here to bring you to someone who will teach you about palace life so you have a chance of survival here," Kanae said.

"Why would I want to live at the palace? All I want is to know if Kyoko is alive or not!" Ren frowned, anger building inside of him for having been locked up for so many days without a word from anyone. Kanae unconsciously stepped back from the hostility in his expression.

"Mo! There's no need to get all worked up about it! She's fine. She suffered a chest wound, but it didn't hit your child. She's alive and your child is too," Kanae said, making Ren breathe a sigh of relief after so many days of not knowing about Kyoko's condition. She had gotten injured, but she was alive!

"So can you tell me why I'm here and why people keep asking me about the Crown Princess?"

"Come. Walk with me unless you would rather stay here," Kanae ordered as she turned to exit the hall. Ren immediately followed her, happy to get out of his prison cell. He cast a wary eye at the guards who he expected to stop him, but they didn't make any move to stop them. Ren followed Kanae across various stone pathways until they were in a new building of the Sky Palace. It seemed to be a study of some sort.

"Now to tell you who the Crown Princess is, I suppose Kyoko didn't tell you she was an immortal?" Kanae asked.

"She told me that recently. Does she know this Crown Princess or something?," Ren asked. Kanae frowned. Did he really not get it by now? She sighed before responding.

"She _is_ the Crown Princess," Kanae replied. Ren was dumbfounded. Kanae wondered how dense he was.

"You were locked up because it's against heaven's law for a mortal and an immortal to get married. And to top that off, you got the Crown Princess pregnant, and Empress Mogami is furious," Kanae explained.

"Now I'll get some of the guards to get you some new robes, and then I'll get Yayoi-sama to teach you the palace rules," Kanae said.

…

After about a week of lessons almost 24/7, Ren had finally learned just how important of a person Kyoko was and just how low of a status he held himself. She had lied to him which had hurt, but he now realized why she had disappeared so many times and why he had never met her family. He just wondered: did she really love him? Even after her lies, he still loved her unconditionally, but he wondered how she felt about him. Kanae had told him she was engaged to the most handsome immortal in all the lands, so how could he stand up to that?

Ren had been introduced to a woman named Fuwa Yayoi by Kanae who taught him the rules of the Sky Palace. She was a very polite woman who always had the most proper manners. She seemed to be kind to other immortals and her servants, but she held low respect for Ren and always berated him, citing his low mortal status as a reason behind his ignorance. He wondered if all immortals were like this?

One day, Ren froze as he heard the maids greet a visitor. He turned around to see Kyoko in a royal purple robe with her natural black hair instead of the auburn hair he had grown accustomed to. However, her tell-tale golden eyes were still there, and Ren couldn't help but smile as hope blossomed within him. Maybe they could finally go back and live the life they planned to together!

"Kyoko," Ren smiled heavenly, but he froze as Yayoi snapped at him.

"You may not greet the Crown Princess in that way with your status," Yayoi scolded him. Ren turned back to Kyoko who wore a neutral expression filled with no emotion for him. Ren got down on his knees and did a dogeza, touching his head to the floor, looking into her eyes for a reaction the entire time.

"I sincerely apologize for my rude greeting, Crown Princess," Ren said as he had learnt to from Yayoi's lessons.

"You may rise," Kyoko replied, prompting Ren to get up off the ground. He looked to her face, wondering why she wouldn't look him directly in the eye.

"I must go now. Please don't let this happen again, Ren," Kyoko said, turning on her heel to walk out of Yayoi's study room. As she did, her heart felt like it was breaking into a million pieces. All she wanted to do was hug Ren and run away with him back to the life they had together, but she couldn't let her affection for him show. If she did, she knew her mother would probably punish him with a fate worse than death. She couldn't let her real emotions show since there were guards around and she was being closely watched. She needed to meet Ren in a private area. Only then could she really talk to him and tell him what was really going on.

...

After his confusing conversation with Kyoko, Ren had been trained for a few more days before Yayoi deemed him ready for palace life and asked some palace servants to lead him to his new quarters. When he arrived at the "Hall of Radiance" that he would be living in, he couldn't help but think the name was ironic.

The Hall of Radiance looked as if had been vacant for a very long time, the dust looking caked onto certain spots of the dingy hall. He watched as servants bustled about, trying to clean the area but to no avail since the grime was permanently welded to certain areas, and no amount of cleaning would remove it. There was a small garden in the front of the hall as well, but all of the plants seemed to be dead.

After a few days of living there and Ren not daring to stray from his quarters in fear of getting reprimanded for going to off-limit areas, he realized that he felt extremely lonely. There were servants around him, of course, but they would always gossip behind his back around him, saying that they deserved to serve under someone of higher rank with better job prospects.

However, one day Ren heard the servants greeting someone who had come to visit him, and he dared to get his hopes up. Ren immediately rose from his seat and practically ran outside, leaning carefully over the delicate railing of the patio of the hall to see Kyoko arguing with the servants who were all in dogezas upon seeing her.

"Who sent you here?" Kyoko asked.

"Crown Princess, it was Fuwa Yayoi-sama who sent us here to serve this new man," A maid spoke.

"In the Heavens, only those with rank can have palace servants serving them. This man has no rank," Kyoko frowned.

"Fuwa Yayoi-sama said that this Hall of Radiance has been vacant for millennia, so she wanted us-"

"Leave now," Kyoko interrupted the servant that was speaking. The servants all quickly bowed again before hurrying out of the hall. Only when they were gone did Kyoko turn to Ren, approaching him. When she finished climbing the few steps to his patio, she ran up to his warm embrace.

"Kyoko!" Ren hugged her, relieved that she was still the same Kyoko he had fallen in love with.

"I'm so sorry, Ren," Kyoko cried softly into his chest.

"Were you severely injured? I heard you sustained a wound to your chest," Ren worried, lifting her chin to look into her golden eyes for any signs of trouble.

"I'm fine. But what about you? Did they hurt you in any way when they brought you here?" Kyoko asked, looking around him for any visible bruises or burns.

"They planned on locking me up in the dungeon, but I'm fine now," Ren replied. Kyoko smiled through her tears upon hearing that he was fine.

"Rest assured, I won't let them do anything to harm you. I'm so sorry for all of this," Kyoko apologized, tilting her head up to kiss Ren on the cheek.

"I guess this is why you never mentioned your family to me before?" Ren tried to joke, making Kyoko laugh slightly through her tears.

"Well now you know. I'm the Crown Princess, but I fell in love with you and didn't want to tell you since I was scared you would leave me," Kyoko embraced him again.

"Hey, don't worry. I made my vows with you. I told you that I would never leave you," Ren tilted her chin up, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

"I'm sorry for what I'm about to do, but from now on I must be careful what I say or do in the palace. When we're in front of others, I must be cold and uncaring to you, but this is all so that I can protect you from my mother's wrath. All I want you to do is avoid interacting with anyone if you don't have to. I don't know who's out to get you here in the palace, but I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if you get hurt," Kyoko said. Ren kissed her forehead and looked over her shoulder, now noticing the butler who she had brought with her. She looked to where he was looking, realizing she forgot all about the servant she had brought with her.

"Ruto, you can come up now," Kyoko said. The butler came up the steps, bowing in front of Ren.

"This is the butler who will attend to you from now on," Kyoko told him.

"He doesn't really talk that much, but I assure you he's kind. He'll gladly listen to you if you want to talk to him," Kyoko whispered into Ren's ear with a small encouraging smile.

…

"The Crown Princess sent you all back?" Yayoi asked the servants bowing before her.

"Yes, Your Highness. The Crown Princess said it was against Heaven's laws for a mortal with no rank to have attendants, but I heard other servants saying that Her Highness took a new servant to attend to this man," The head maid said. Yayoi sighed.

"You may all go now," Yayoi frowned. The servants hurried out, making a pathway for Fuwa Sho who was entering his adopted mother's quarters. Yayoi instantly smiled.

"Sho, I'm glad to see you back," Yayoi smiled at her adopted son who she had raised after his tribe was massacred.

"Are you a little uneasy, Mom?" Sho asked. Yayoi sighed again and frowned.

"I'm worried that Kyoko-chan will follow in the footsteps of Kotonami Kanae and throw away her position for love. She'll end up as a laughingstock who only wants a man and not the world," Yayoi said.

"Empress Mogami said that the Crown Princess hasn't asked her yet for permission to marry the mortal," Sho replied.

"Even if she asks, Empress Mogami wouldn't allow it. I'm just afraid that the Fairy Kingdom will find out about the mortal's existence and be discontent since she's supposed to be engaged to Hizuri Kuon," Yayoi worried.

"The Sky Palace is vast with over a hundred halls and many servants. As long as the servants don't discuss it, the Fairy Kingdom won't find out that there's a mortal living here," Sho replied.

"That's good. Kyoko-chan seems to not regard this man as important, but he is pretty much her secret lover in the mortal realm after all. I raised you, so you know best the etiquette and rules of the Sky Palace. When you have time, could you teach the mortal in my place?" Yayoi asked.

"Of course," Sho smirked. He would just _love_ to show this mortal exactly how the palace worked.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading this chapter and thank you to all who leave reviews! I really appreciate the feedback!**

 **Erza-** I really would like to torture Sho but it'll have to wait for later since now he's going to be super annoying and a huge obstacle. Sorry that this chapter was shorter than usual again, but I'll try to update quickly and have a longer chapter next! I hope you liked Kyoko and Ren meeting again this chapter!

 **PaulaGaTo-** Ren is safe for now, but Sho's jealousy is dangerous and next chapter we'll see Sho and Ren meet formally for the first time.

 **Ivy-** If they Lory or Kuu do see Ren, they probably won't realize it's Kuon since Ren has a mortal aura and has different hair and eye colors. However, they aren't the types to separate lovers, so you shouldn't worry about them specifically trying to separate Kyoko and Ren and worry more about Sho and Saena who already have it out for them. It'll still be about 5 more chapters or so until we see Kyoko and Ren's child, so I hope you can wait until then to see their child!


	15. Chapter 15

As Kyoko went to see her mother again, she was greeted by the head general of the Sky Kingdom, Katagiri Kenichi. When she was little she used to be scared of him, but she had found out later on that he was actually really easygoing and friendly despite his serious appearance.

"Crown Princess!" Katagiri smiled at her then bowed. Kyoko bowed back to Katagiri before bowing to her mother.

"It's good you're here. I want you to hear about the situation at the Ghost Kingdom," Saena said.

"Oh, yes! As Crown Princess, you'll be in charge of the kingdom soon and will need to know of this possible problem as well," Katagiri added.

"Some of King Reino's past generals have decided to rebel against the current king. I don't suppose you've read about Generals Miroku, Shizuru, Kiyora, and Dasuku of the Ghost Kingdom?" Katagiri asked.

"I have. When I read about the war 70,000 years ago, I learned that they were King Reino's most devout followers. They were stripped of their titles after not surrendering to Heavens' Alliance with the rest of the Ghost Kingdom," Kyoko recited what she had learned in her textbooks.

"Well now they've created a rebellion which is called Vie Ghoul, the name used for King Reino's most devout supporters while he was king before," Katagiri replied.

"Beagle?" Kyoko asked, wondering if she had heard correctly.

"Vie Ghoul," Saena corrected her as Katagiri stifled a laugh.

"Katagiri-san, since you were there during the war 70,000 years ago, would you mind telling me about it in detail. Maybe there is something that I never learned about in my textbooks that would prove crucial to my understanding of the situation," Kyoko asked. Saena's frown lessened slightly, content that her daughter had made the right choice in assessing the situation and wondering if maybe Kyoko would be able to take over the throne sooner than she expected.

…

As Ren walked onto the patio of the Hall of Radiance, he breathed in the fresh air and gazed at the small garden in front of his new home, frowning since it hadn't been taken care of. He had always enjoyed nature, and being secluded in the Hall of Radiance with only a dead garden as his only reminder of nature wasn't appealing.

Ruto followed his master onto the porch. Ren, realizing that Ruto had followed him, turned to ask him a question.

"Ruto, are there any other men in the princess's palace?"

"You are the only one granted living quarters in the princess's palace other than herself," Ruto replied.

"Is she always this busy?" Ren wondered. He hadn't seen her for a couple of days, and he hadn't had any visitors at all since she last came to see him.

"I heard that Her Highness often works on official matters late into the night," Ruto replied. Ren nodded, still looking at the garden of dead plants and wondering if maybe he could tend to the garden since there wasn't really anything else he could do while under house-arrest in the Hall of Radiance. Maybe he could even grow a rose to give to Kyoko. She would probably like that, right?

While thinking about restoring the garden, Ren itched his throat. It had been feeling like something was stuck in it for the past couple of days, and he just couldn't understand why. He had never had this happen to him before. What was causing this?

…

Later that night after Kyoko had finished hearing about the war 70,000 years ago from Katagiri, she retired to her quarters and took out a small mirror. Using magic, she flicked her hand and soon an image of Ren's room appeared on the mirror. Kyoko watched as Ren had a coughing fit, Ruto quickly bringing him a glass of hot water which he gulped down. After drinking the water, Ren put a hand to his forehead and laid down on his bed, almost immediately falling asleep. Was he sick? She had wanted to visit him, but it would raise more suspicion if she took any interest in his daily activities. Kyoko really did want to see him though to check on him, so she ignored the inevitable circumstances and teleported herself to his room, leaving the mirror on her desk. Though, she wouldn't know that the mirror she had been watching Ren was suddenly stolen as it disappeared into thin air after she had teleported herself to Ren.

When Kyoko arrived in Ren's room, she sat down on the edge of his bed, feeling his forehead and frowning since he had a fever. She procured a cold towel out of thin air and placed it over his forehead to try to relieve his fever. Afterwards, Kyoko leaned down, about to place a soft kiss on his cheek. However, as Ren suddenly opened his eyes, he turned his head, and his lips met hers to Kyoko's surprise. Ren smiled at her before looking at his glass of water and scratching his throat again. Kyoko lifted her hand to the empty glass, filling it with hot water right before Ren picked it up, drinking it to soothe his sore throat. He set the glass down and laid down again, still smiling at Kyoko.

"I'm sorry for waking you, Ren. I only came to try to relieve your fever with this cold towel. You can continue sleeping now," Kyoko apologized.

"Thank you, Kyoko," Ren smiled lovingly before instantly falling asleep again. Kyoko smiled and leaned down to kiss his cheek before teleporting herself back to her bedroom, hoping that Ren would feel better tomorrow.

…

The next morning after Ren woke up, he instantly realized he felt better. He sat up and the towel on his forehead fell off, Ren looking at it confused since he couldn't remember how it had gotten there. He vaguely remembered that Kyoko had visited him and he had kissed her, but he didn't know if that could have been just a dream. Nevertheless, Ren got up from bed and attempted to tend to the small garden that day. He saw Ruto in the shadows watching him as he tried to pick out the weeds in the garden.

"Master, are you sure you're feeling alright? You seemed to have a sickness yesterday. I could call the palace medic to take a look at you," Ruto said.

"I feel fine now compared to yesterday. There's no need to call the medic," Ren responded as he turned back to tend to the garden.

"Greetings, Your Highness," Ren heard Ruto say behind him. Ren looked behind him again to see who he had learned to be Fuwa Sho, an honorary prince who had been brought into the Sky Palace after his whole tribe had been killed in the war 70,000 years ago. Ren bowed as well, knowing that Sho was also married to Saena, the Heavenly Empress and therefore had to be given respect.

"Your Highness," Ren went into a perfect 90 degree bow.

"You are one of the Crown Princess's men, right? You only need to greet me like this in front of others from now on. There's no need to do so in private," Sho grinned.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Ren rose up.

"I've wanted to speak with you ever since I found you that day. I'm sorry for that by the way. I hadn't known what you had done and wanted to plea for a lesser punishment for you, but Heaven's rules are strict. It was fortunate that Kotonami Kanae and Amamiya Chiori protected you," Sho lied. He had actually wished that those two hadn't pleaded on Ren's behalf and that Ren would have been killed, but his plans all relied on him gaining this mortal's trust.

"Don't be afraid though of the Sky Palace. After Kyoko gives birth, everything will improve for you," Sho assured him. He looked around at the Hall of Radiance and the garden that Ren was working on and frowned.

"Hey, do you know why this Hall of Radiance is so simple and unkept? And why was this garden planted with roses? Kyoko doesn't like flowers like this. Did she not say to get this garden replanted?" Sho frowned at the rose bush Ren had just planted.

"She didn't notice," Ren replied, worrying that Kyoko really didn't like roses and wouldn't like the ones he just planted.

"Ah, that makes sense. She nearly lost her life in the war against the Pixie Kingdom. She also just returned and is very busy with official matters. Why would she pay attention to these things?" Sho pondered.

"She was nearly killed?!" Ren's mouth gaped open in surprise.

"You didn't see her wound? I was afraid she would die and stayed by her side until she woke up. I guess Kyoko's always been one to keep to herself though, so of course she wouldn't tell you how severe her injuries were. I only saw her cry as a child once. It makes sense why she wouldn't tell you the extent of her injuries," Sho responded.

"The reason why I came to talk to you though was because I wanted to invite you to an assembly that Amamiya Chiori was holding. All the deities in the world are attending, including Kyoko. Also, those who have ranks in the palace were also invited. Would you like to take a look?" Sho asked.

"Without the Crown Princess's approval, I'm not allowed to leave this hall," Ren responded.

"Really? If you leave with me, no one will stop you. My mother, Fuwa Yayoi, asked me to come here today to show you around. Since you're already part of Kyoko's palace, you need to learn about the events held in the palace. My mother was afraid you'd be bored since you can't see the Crown Princess that often, so she told me to take you to the assembly," Sho smirked.

"Is that so? I don't know the Sky Kingdom's rules that well, so if I say something wrong could you tell me?" Ren asked, glad that someone at the palace was being nice to him now.

"Of course! I'll teach you well so that even Saena is pleased with you," Sho grinned.

"Thank you," Ren smiled back. Sho motioned for Ren to follow him as he strode out of the hall towards the exit of the Hall of Radiance. Ruto attempted to follow, but Sho turned to order him not to.

"You can rest assured, he'll be fine. I'll have my maid follow us," Sho motioned over to Shoko who had been standing outside of the entrance.

"Yes, Your Highness," Ruto bowed as Sho led Ren away.

…

"I thought this water from Heaven's hot spring was thought to heal any wound in 3-5 days, but you've been here for more than that and you don't seem to be getting any better. That Soul Slayer must have been very powerful," Chiori commented as Kyoko soaked in a large bath as Chiori paced around it to keep her company.

"You haven't been to the Hall of Radiance for days either. I know that you love the mortal, and it's sad that you have to hide it."

"Please don't say that around here, Amamiya-san. You never know who's around," Kyoko said as she sank deeper into the bath, trying to relax further.

"Why are you still here anyways? I thought you were hosting the assembly today?" Kyoko wondered.

"I'm here to escort you there. I heard that you were pregnant now. Someone has to protect you from Kanae's fury when she confronts you about not telling her," Chiori joked. Kyoko immediately realized she had forgotten to tell her friends about her pregnancy and felt guilty.

"I'm so sorry, Amamiya-san! I should have told you two before!"

"It's fine! You were injured in battle, so you just never had the chance to, and I'm not mad about it. I'm actually happy for you," Chiori replied.

"Thank you, Amamiya-san. I'll get out right now and we can head over to the assembly," Kyoko tried to smile, still guilty that she had forgotten to tell her friends of her pregnancy.

…

As Lory went through the Sky Palace riding his pet phoenix to attend the assembly, he was met with the sight of Sho leading an unknown man with brown hair to the assembly as well. As they came closer, Lory's eyes widened as he saw the man's face. Was this Kuon? But if it was, then why were his hair and eyes different colors?

"Your Highness," Lory greeted Sho, still looking at Ren and wondering if Kuon had been hiding in the Sky Palace the whole time he had been gone.

"Takarada Lory! I didn't know you were coming today," Sho exclaimed as he looked at Lory gaping his mouth at Ren. Ren was surprised at the eccentric man himself, riding a phoenix.

"Let me introduce you to Ren. He's the Crown Princess's savior in the mortal realm. He's just a mortal, but since he's the Crown Princess's child's father, Empress Mogami wants to allow him to stay in the Sky Palace," Sho explained.

"Hm, I didn't expect that the Crown Princess would have a brief romance," Lory remarked, still wondering how this mortal could look so similar to Kuon. The phoenix leaned its head down to look at Ren as well, and Ren couldn't help but pet its head even though he had never seen a bird this big before. Lory was even more startled when he saw this. The similarities between this mortal and Kuon were uncanny! They looked so similar _and_ they both could have animals warm up to them quickly! His phoenix was usually startled by interactions with others, but it was currently leaning into Ren's hand as he petted the bird.

"Speaking of Kyoko, you wouldn't have happened to hear where she was, would you?" Sho asked.

"I heard from Amamiya Chiori that she has been recuperating at Heaven's baths for a couple days from her injuries," Lory replied.

"Oh, her injuries were pretty severe. It's best that she's recuperating there," Sho remarked.

"Well, we'll take our leave now so we can get to the assembly on time," Sho bowed and motioned for Ren to follow him. Lory bowed his head as they left him, still staring at Ren's back and not understanding who exactly this mortal was and why he shared so many similarities with Kuon. Since Ren was mortal, he couldn't be Kuon, but he just seemed so similar! Being a mortal, Lory knew that Heaven's laws were strict, and Ren would probably go through many troubles to be accepted as the Crown Princess's husband, so why would Kuon choose to become mortal and go through these troubles? Also, why would he not recognize Lory! He had known Kuon since childhood, and there was no way that Kuon wouldn't know him! Lory knew that Kuon was hopeless at romance and had never shown that much interest in his love life, so there was no way this mortal could be him if the mortal was a lover of the Crown Princess!

It was interesting to see such a mortal, but Lory chose to believe in the end that the mortal was probably one of those doppelgängers he heard that existed. Doppelgängers weren't related whatsoever, but they looked extremely similar just like Kuon and Ren, so that must be the only explanation.

...

Sho led Ren towards Heaven's baths, stopping in front of the entrance as they heard voices.

"Although Hizuri Kuon is still in meditation, the wedding must not be postponed. He is the only son of the Fairy Kingdom's previous rulers and inherited the position of the king. Thus, he can't be a mild-tempered man, and were he to learn you were expecting a child and behave unreasonably, you must learn to tolerate it," Saena warned her daughter. After Kyoko had gotten out of the bath to follow Chiori to the assembly, Saena had paid them a visit before they could leave, wanting to remind her daughter of her engagement.

"Yes, Mother," Kyoko responded. Saena turned to leave, stopping when she saw who was at the entrance of the baths. Sho and Ren immediately bowed.

"Why are you two here?" Saena scowled.

"My mother was concerned that Ren would be bored staying in the Hall of Radiance, so she asked me to show him around," Sho replied.

"How can a mortal be present at Amamiya-san's assembly? If there's nothing else to do, then he'd better leave soon," Saena frowned as she walked away. Sho turned to Ren.

"Don't worry. You have Kyoko. Empress Mogami won't harm you," Sho assured him as Kyoko came out to see them.

"Why would you come here?" Kyoko asked Ren harshly. He was surprised at her harsh tone considering the vague memory of last night where she had taken care of him while he was sick. Ren tried to tell himself she was only acting this way in public like she had told him she would do.

"I brought him here, Kyoko. There's no need to get mad at him," Sho said.

"It's best for you to steer clear of my own affairs, Sho," Kyoko frowned.

"You're right. You're the Crown Princess, and I am but one of many consorts of the Heavenly Empress. I've been too meddlesome," Sho agreed as he turned to leave. Kyoko wondered why he agreed with her so easily since that wasn't usually the case, but turned to speak to Ren since they were now alone.

"Don't let him get close to you anymore. According to the rites of the Sky Palace, you shouldn't be here. I'll escort you back," Kyoko said as she took his hand softly. He looked at her belly and saw that it had grown and was now partially visible through her robes if looking closely. She smiled at him lovingly before schooling her expression since they were still in public and didn't know who was watching them. Ren understood her actions now as he let her guide him back to the Hall of Radiance. She did love him, and she was only going to act harshly to him in public, right?

On the way back however, they passed by a procession of deities who were attending the assembly, among them Saena and Sho who were greeting the visitors to the palace. Lory walking next to his pet phoenix was part of the procession, many looking at the spectacle in shock because of his eccentricity.

As Shoko saw Kyoko and Ren, she shot a discrete beam of magic towards the phoenix, rousing it to anger. It flew upwards, fire trailing behind it and startling the deities with it's cawing. As it came towards Kyoko and Ren, Kyoko shot a magic beam at it, turning it away from them. The phoenix, however, turned and hit Lory, giving him a nasty burn. Kyoko produced a sword out of thin air and launched herself towards the bird, angry that it had hurt someone. The phoenix saw her and flew to the side, dodging her sword. As it looked around and saw Ren, it flew towards him, and Kyoko widened her eyes in fear that it would attack him and that Ren was defenseless since he had no magic. She lunged towards the phoenix as it came to the ground in front of Ren, landing to bow in front of him. Kyoko was shocked at the phoenix's action, but since the phoenix had stopped, Kyoko cast a spell on it, putting it to sleep.

"Follow me back to the throne room to tell me what happened," Saena frowned at Kyoko as she grabbed her arm roughly. Ren couldn't help but scowl at how Saena was treating her, but he couldn't say anything due to his rank.

"And you too," Saena growled at him, making him follow as well. Sho followed too, excited to see Ren finally get the punishment he deserved for trying to steal Kyoko away from him. Ren needed to know his place and that Kyoko was meant to marry _Sho,_ not him!

Once they had arrived in the throne room, Kyoko got down on her knees in front of the throne, prompting Ren to do the same.

"Do you know who was injured? Takarada Lory, the godfather to Hizuri Kuon! He's yet to marry into the Sky Kingdom, and yet this mortal has injured his godfather! Should the Fairy Kingdom blame us for it, how would you have me respond?!" Saena yelled in anger.

"I'm willing to ask for their forgiveness in person on behalf of Ren," Kyoko bowed. Ren looked at her incredulously. Why was she apologizing for him when he clearly didn't do anything?

"I've been wronged. Please, Heavenly Empress, I ask you to investigate this," Ren went into a dogeza.

"You've been wronged? What explains why that phoenix bowed to you after injuring someone? You must have tampered with it," Saena scoffed.

"Please, Heavenly Empress, I didn't tamper with the phoenix. Someone must have framed me!" Ren repeated.

"How dare you accuse that a deity is out to frame a mortal?!" Saena roared.

"I don't mean to say so, but there's no other expla-"

"That's enough!" Kyoko interrupted Ren harshly.

"Ren has offended you. Please forgive him," Kyoko bowed to Saena.

"Heavenly Empress, please allow me to speak," Sho said as he knelt beside the two. He didn't want Kyoko to take on the punishment for the mortal! That hadn't been his plan! He had to fix this!

"What do you want to say?" Saena frowned.

"You should blame me for bringing Ren to the assembly in the first place and allowing him access to the phoenix when we met Takarada Lory on the way there. If you blame him, I'm willing to be punished in his stead," Sho bowed, knowing that Saena wouldn't punish him even if he said so.

"Matters dealing with this mortal need not trouble any outsiders. If Ren is to be punished, he'll be punished. It has nothing to do with Sho," Kyoko told Saena.

"Heavenly Empress!" Lory exclaimed as he entered the throne room.

"Takarada-san? Were you not heavily injured by your phoenix just now?" Saena asked.

"Hm? The injury was just a burn. Nothing that I'm not used to. It happened frequently when I was training her. Is this mortal being put on trial because of the phoenix?" Lory asked.

"Yes. It was clear that the mortal had tampered with your phoenix earlier," Saena responded.

"I don't believe that to be true. I'm afraid I haven't trained my phoenix enough, and I shouldn't have brought her here today. She was startled by the large amount of people. If anyone is to be punished, I should be the first for allowing my untamed phoenix into the Sky Palace," Lory bowed.

"Since Takarada-san has taken the blame, you must remember his kindness. You may return to the Hall of Radiance," Saena ordered Ren. He bowed his head and began to get up.

"Wait. Although Takarada-san pleaded on your behalf, I cannot let you go so easily," Kyoko said to Ren.

"From today on, all personnel in the Hall of Radiance are grounded. None of you are to leave the Hall of Radiance without my permission," Kyoko ordered. Ren frowned, not understanding why she was still punishing him. Didn't she know that he was innocent? He hadn't done anything!

"I find that a suitable punishment as well since he was never supposed to be out in the first place," Saena said. Kyoko motioned two guards over.

"Escort him back," Kyoko ordered as they bowed and Ren stood up. As he followed one guard back while the other walked behind him, he couldn't help but feel betrayed by Kyoko. So much for Kyoko saying she would protect him from Saena's wrath when she punished him for something he hadn't done!

* * *

 **Poor Ren for Kyoko punishing him even though he was innocent. Next chapter will come out in less than a week, so thank you for your support on this fic!**

 **PaulaGaTo-** Glad to ease your worries for the next few chapters! Although, with Sho's plans, Kyoko's less and less able to protect Ren from punishment. I know you wanted Saena and Sho to get their punishments, but unfortunately it was Ren this chapter who got punished instead :(.

 **panda00-** Kyoko and Kuon will meet eventually and since I write a backlog of chapters for this fic, it'll be about 7-8 chapters. Hope you can wait until then!

 **Erza Tsuruga-** Glad you liked Ren and Kyoko's interaction, but this chapter their interactions was pretty sad again since they only met in public where Kyoko had to act harshly to him. You were right about Sho teaching Ren improper rules and framing him with the help of Shoko. And about people recognizing Ren as Kuon, as shown in this chapter when Lory saw Ren, he was confused why Ren looked so much like Kuon, but Lory didn't link them because Ren is mortal while Kuon is immortal and also because Ren acted like he had never met Lory before while Kuon is actually close to Lory. Since Kuon lost his memory as Ren and his immortal powers were sealed by Reino, Lory was curious about why they looked alike but couldn't link them as the same person.


	16. Chapter 16

**Hope I didn't keep you all waiting too long for this next chapter! I will try to update weekly if not earlier even though I have started another fic, so don't worry about slower updates because of me having two ongoing fics. Thank you for following this fic, and here's chapter 16!**

* * *

"I have to thank you for your assistance, High God," Kyoko bowed to Lory as she had followed him on his way out of the Sky Palace to thank him.

"Judging by Empress Mogami's temper, it's good that I wasn't injured too badly and was able to vouch for that mortal, or he might have been killed by her. A mortal is after all just a mortal. This isn't the right place for him. I wonder why you don't send him away to keep him safe and alive?" Lory wondered.

"I'm afraid that I'm pregnant with his child and that Mother wants to keep him here as a punishment for my negligence. I only hope that I can protect him from my mother's wrath," Kyoko responded.

"I worry for your situation. I would suggest you be extremely careful from now on concerning the mortal. When I said my phoenix wasn't well-trained, I was only attempting to take the blame off the mortal, but I trained her well. Someone startled her, and I suspect it was in order to frame Ren. You must be careful. It seems as if someone in the palace is out to get him," Lory speculated.

"I will. Thank you, High God, for your advice."

"I'm always glad to see young immortals truly in love. Love is a beautiful human emotion that I wish everyone in the world could make blossom within their hearts. Although there are difficulties, you must learn to overcome them in the face of adversity. You will constantly struggle, but all is worth it if you can for a moment experience the carefree bliss that only love can provide. I hope your love drama ends well, Mogami-kun," Lory added.

"I do as well," Kyoko replied. She turned to head back towards the palace, but froze upon Lory's next words.

"One more thing, Mogami-kun. Did you really think I wouldn't notice you two when you came to LME?" Lory asked. Kyoko immediately turned around and went into a dogeza.

"I apologize for trespassing, High God! Please feel free to punish me accordingly for disrupting your tranquil LME atmosphere by intruding!"

"There's no need to worry. I'm not mad at you. I'm happy you were able to enjoy it as well. Not many come to visit except for my own young granddaughter and godson," Lory chuckled.

"Please feel free to visit anytime, Mogami-kun. I built LME as a place where immortals could come and see the true beauty of the world when they forgot it existed and to share it with others. Partaking in an experience like that with one you love is exactly what I hoped for when I built LME. It's always open for you to visit, Mogami-kun," Lory smiled. Kyoko smiled back and bowed again with a sincere thank-you before heading back to the palace.

…

"Is there a reason you followed me out here, Sho?" Saena asked. She had left the throne room to visit the palace lotus pond after dealing with that issue with the mortal. It had given her a headache, and she was only getting more and more worried that this mortal would permanently ruin Kyoko's life before she could take the throne. Something had to be done.

"I would like to offer my assistance in getting rid of that mortal," Sho decreed.

"I thought earlier you were willing to take punishment for him?"

"I only believed that the accident wasn't severe enough to kill him, but now I'm worried that that mortal will become a hindrance to Kyoko. I want to offer you my assistance to get rid of that pest," Sho sneered, his dislike for Ren showing on his face.

"Hm. And what would you wish for this time in exchange for helping me get rid of him? When you asked to become my consort to win over the kingdoms for me, I also agreed to grant you a wish. Tell me, what are you so persistent about?"

"It's the same wish. If I can get that mortal killed, I wish for you to make me a side consort of Kyoko," Sho requested as he went into a dogeza.

"You wish to marry Kyoko? Did you ask to be my consort to pave the way for this?" Saena wondered.

"Yes. You've known me since I was a child, and I've never been reluctant to seize opportunities to get what I wanted, no matter what it took or who I used," Sho reminded her. She regarded his wish for a moment before nodding her head in approval.

"Very well. You're the type of person who should be by my daughter's side. You know what you want and how to get it. I will agree to it since it doesn't matter if I bestow my consort to my daughter. Besides, it'll be better to not waste your youth staying by my side for the rest of your life."

"Thank you, Empress Mogami," Sho bowed again.

"Just don't forget what you promised me," Saena reminded him.

"Don't worry. With my plan, even the Crown Princess won't be able to save him," Sho smirked wickedly.

"Good. I don't want her to fall into the malicious trap that love is. All love does is blind a person to the reality around them," Saena sighed. She would know best how love could deprive one of their better judgment. She just didn't want her daughter to make the same mistakes she had. Saena had made a huge mistake when she had fallen in love with Misonoi Kazushi. He had only seduced her to gain crucial intel for the Ghost Kingdom, and she had foolishly let herself believe in his deception and risk the war 70,000 years ago for her stupid love. She wouldn't let her daughter follow in her footsteps.

…

"Ruto, do you know how Kyoko is related to Fuwa Sho?" Ren asked as he stood on the porch gazing at the rose bush. The flowers were starting to bud out now, and they would soon fully bloom.

"I've heard that the Crown Princess was brought up by Fuwa Sho's adoptive mother, Fuwa Yayoi. She was raised alongside him," Ruto responded. Ren only nodded in response before heading back inside. It wasn't night yet, but Ren felt like retiring to bed early after the events of that day.

Since Ren was asleep, he couldn't see when Kyoko teleported herself into the room. Seeing that he was asleep, she gently sat next to him on the bed.

"Ren?" Kyoko asked, guilty that she had been so harsh on him earlier. He stirred in his sleep and only woke up when Kyoko placed a hand over one of his own.

"Kyoko?" Ren replied as he sat up, wondering why she had visited him. He had thought she had been angry at him earlier after believing the lie that he had tampered with Lory's phoenix. She had punished him and spoke to him so harshly, so it was confusing to see her almost completely the opposite from earlier.

"I'm sorry. Since I've gotten pregnant, I've had some mood swings and acted more harsh to you than I intended to. There's so many regulations in the Sky Palace, so I couldn't be as carefree as we were when it was just us in the mortal realm, and I ended up getting too into character," Kyoko apologized.

"Into character?" Ren wondered what she meant by that.

"When I'm in front of Mother or on official business, I guess I have this character that I become who is the paragon of a Crown Princess. But when I'm with you or with my friends, then I let myself drop the act and be myself," Kyoko replied.

"I don't blame you for what happened before with the phoenix then, Kyoko. I believe that Empress Mogami is prejudiced against me anyways since you married me in the mortal realm without her permission," Ren admitted.

"I wish we could just spend our days together like we used to," Kyoko laid her head on Ren's chest. He leaned down to kiss her forehead and brought her closer.

"Me too. Will we be able to spend any time together soon?" Ren wondered.

"I'm sorry, Ren, but I have official matters to attend to during the day," Kyoko looked down guiltily.

"It's fine," Ren sighed. Kyoko leaned up to give him a kiss, and he savored the feel of her lips that he had been starved from for so long before she reluctantly pulled away.

"I have to go now," Kyoko smiled sadly. Ren nodded, trying to smile as she got up, teleporting out of his room. He had to accept that things would never go back to how they were before. He would have to take what he could get, and he didn't want Kyoko to feel guilty about not spending enough time together when she had so many duties to take care of.

...

"The threat of Vie Ghoul has worsened. After fleeing with groups of rebel soldiers, Vie Ghoul has been spotted in the North, setting up a rebel army camp," Saena explained.

"I can lead our army there against the rebels to neutralize the threat," Kyoko offered.

"And is there a reason why I should put my trust in you again after you got yourself wounded the last two times I trusted you?"

"Even though I was wounded, I still got rid of the threats those two times like you wanted," Kyoko responded.

"That is the case, but this is your last chance to execute my orders correctly. I don't want to see you wounded again. Don't forget that you're not officially my heir yet. I have plenty of time to change my mind," Saena threatened her.

"Yes, Mother," Kyoko bowed, turning to walk out.

"Before you go, I still need to tell you two more matters. Since Kotonami-san and Amamiya-san protected you and were there when you were healing from your injuries cause by Morizumi Kimiko, I want them to go with you to neutralize the threat. I also want to change out the servants in your palace as well as in the Hall of Radiance. If Ren was actually framed, then you might be in danger as well, and I want to make sure all of the servants are loyal," Saena said.

"Yes, Mother," Kyoko bowed, leaving for good this time. She didn't show it, but she was terrified of how this would bode for Ren. Without Kanae, Chiori, or her here, who would make sure he was protected from his enemies in the Sky Palace? And if Ruto wasn't there either, he would have no allies at all.

...

"Kyoko? Are you there?"

Ren's hand darted to his pendant, wondering why Sho's voice was coming out of it.

"I plead for Ren on your behalf, so why do you still not understand?! I wouldn't have tried to protect him from Saena's wrath if he wasn't the father to your unborn child!" Sho's voice said.

"I know you married him just to get back at me for betraying your feelings by marrying Empress Mogami, but what did you expect me to do? I married her to appease the rest of the kingdoms! Please tell me that you still love me after all this time, Kyoko!"

Ren couldn't help but be stunned by Sho's words. This had to be a joke, right?

"I know you're doing all of this just to try to forget about me, but you don't have to anymore. Just tell that mortal the truth and let us be together again just like we were as children. I was your first love anyhow, and you know that mortal could never compare to what we had."

Everything Ren had believed existed between him and Kyoko was shaken by Sho's words. Maybe Sho's words were all true! They had been for Kyoko, so Ren shouldn't have heard them, so that only made him believe more in the sincerity of his words.

All that Ren could think of at that moment was that he needed to see Kyoko. Even a glimpse of her would be enough. He wanted to give himself a reminder that she loved him. He wanted to tell himself that Sho's words were false and that Kyoko really did love him and only him. Ren swiftly got up from his bed, walking towards the patio. However, instead of ducking down like he usually did to avoid hitting the top of the door with his tremendous height, Ren ran smack into it, a loud bang startling Ruto who had watched the whole ordeal go down from a distance. He wondered what could have gotten the normally composed Ren so careless.

As Sho finished his spiel, he smirked at the blue stone in his hand. However, when he heard footsteps approaching, he looked around for something to hide it in and decided to put the stone in a nearby box just as Kyoko rounded the corner to see him.

"Kyoko? You've finally come to visit me?" Sho smirked. He felt the air in the room drop ten degrees however, and something felt like it started to choke his neck as he struggled to breathe.

"Give me back the stone," Kyoko demanded.

"What do you mean? What stone?" Sho choked out as he struggled to catch a breath from the pressure around his neck. Was Kyoko choking him with her magic or something?

"The blue stone that I dropped during the war with the Pixie Kingdom. I know you still have it. Give it back, _Sho_ ," Kyoko growled as she approached him, making him step back instinctively. Her anger's intensity was actually terrifying him right now, so he decided to give in. The stone had already done its job anyways for him.

"Al-Alright. Fine! It's in that box," Sho gulped, pointing to the box he had just put it in. Kyoko walked over, taking the box and opening its lid, throwing it behind her carelessly and secretly hoping it hit Sho. Her aim was pretty spot-on, and he barely dodged her throw in time.

Once Kyoko had lifted her precious stone out of the box, she glared at Sho once more before gracefully walking out like nothing had ever happened. Sho could only breathe normally again once she was gone, and he felt himself fearing her for the first time in his life.

…

Kyoko immediately went to the Hall of Radiance, worried that Sho had tampered with the stone and affected Ren somehow. She paused when she noticed new servants bustling outside the hall but continued on when she remembered that her mother was changing out the servants for interrogation. Kyoko, once inside the Hall of Radiance, almost broke into a sprint to find Ren sitting on his bed, clutching his pendant to his chest. She hurried to sit next to him, worried when he didn't even take one look at her as she approached him.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Kyoko asked, grabbing one of his hands in her own. Only then did his eyes focus on her, finally realizing she had come to visit him.

"What did you come here for, Kyoko?" Ren looked down into their conjoined hands.

"Are you okay?" Kyoko wondered.

"I'm fine," Ren lied, not willing to look into her eyes in fear that he would see she was faking her worry for him. Realizing that he wouldn't tell her what had been ailing him, Kyoko decided to drop the topic. He would tell her if Sho had done something to him, right?

"I have to go to the North for half a year," Kyoko admitted regretfully.

"You're leaving again?" Ren said monotonously, desensitized to her announcement after the events of the past couple of days. It only added onto his growing worry that she really didn't love him. She constantly left him, and he wondered if she even remembered their vows when they were married. They had promised never to part with each other regardless of fortune or calamity, but it seemed like she constantly broke that promise.

"I'm so sorry, Ren, but we can still communicate through our wedding stones. If anything happens, or you want to talk to me, then you can tell me through the stones," Kyoko said with a small smile as she put her hand to his chest over his pendant.

"Take care of yourself," Ren replied, taking her hand in his own and lifting it away from his chest.

"Ren?" Kyoko wondered why he had just done that.

"You should go. I know you probably have official matters that you should be working on instead of wasting time speaking here with me," Ren said, closing himself off to speaking with her further. She opened her mouth, wanting to argue that she wanted to know what was going on with him and how she could help, but she knew from his actions that he probably didn't want to talk to her. Kyoko reluctantly stood up, teleporting away with a worried feeling in her chest that she had done something that had caused Ren to become like this. Maybe it was because of how cruel she had acted towards him in front of her mother, but she had thought it had been cleared up yesterday. Maybe instead it was that Ren wouldn't forgive her anymore for confining him to this prisoner lifestyle.

…

"The North where Vie Ghoul is hiding relies mainly on their mountainous terrain and secret passages. It will be difficult for our army to fight since we don't know the terrain," Kyoko announced to her generals.

"Crown Princess, I have an idea that can allow us to familiarize ourselves with the terrain quickly," A general bowed in front of her.

"Please share it," Kyoko replied.

"Since you're engaged to Hizuri Kuon, the king of the Fairy Kingdom, maybe you could ask his parents, Hizuri Julienna and Kuu, for their help. I have heard that they established residence in the North after they retired from ruling over the Fairy Kingdom. I think they would be able to help us," The general relayed her idea.

"I agree. I have to meet them soon anyways, so might as well now. I hope that they agree to our request."

...

Soon, Kyoko took a visit to the residence of Julie and Kuu who happily invited her in, not wanting to offend their soon-to-be daughter-in-law. After Julie politely served tea, Kyoko told them of her request. Julie and Kuu looked at each other for only a second before both genuinely smiling at her, shocking Kyoko. She wasn't used to strangers being so friendly to her!

"You are our future daughter-in-law, so naturally we will help you," Kuu smiled.

"I do want to tell you though that we haven't resided here for long. However, we can have a topographic map of the North delivered to your army tent in less than three months. It's only right that we try our best for our son's future wife," Julie smiled warmly at her. Kyoko couldn't help but smile back. Her in-laws were really nice, but she couldn't help but feel guilty that she could not love their son in the future. Her heart already belonged to Ren, but hopefully she would be able to at least get along with their son.

"Thank you," Kyoko bowed.

"There's no need to be so polite. We're helping you since you'll be our daughter soon. We hope that you can get more comfortable with us since you'll be seeing us a lot more often," Kuu said.

"Kuu? Julie?" A voice called out. Soon, Lory stepped into the room wearing a shockingly pink robe. Kyoko attempted to shield her eyes from the pink atrocity as Kuu gasped and Julie rolled her eyes. First, Lory had an eccentric hobby to change LME's landscape every single day to various sceneries, but now he was branching off into fashion as well? Julie only hoped his new wardrobe didn't only include such horrid pink outfits such as this one.

"I can take my leave now," Kyoko bowed on instinct, leaving the room so that Kuu and Julie could talk to Lory and also so that she could get that pink abomination out of her line of vision.

"That girl is so polite. Is everyone in the Sky Kingdom like that?" Kuu wondered.

"I don't believe so. It's only the Crown Princess that was trained like that to be the heir to the throne of Heavenly Empress. It makes one wonder how many troubles she went through to become like that. Even so, she's a nice girl, but I do have some regrets about agreeing to this engagement for Kuon," Lory said.

"I've heard that the Crown Princess has been very popular with men this year. I'm afraid Kuon might not be very happy married to her if he has to constantly fend off suitors. It's usually the other way around for that boy, and he might not be used to this new situation," Lory chuckled.

"Ugh, I just hate the polygamy of the Sky Palace. What's wrong with just having one partner? Why do they need so many? Did you know the Heavenly Empress took on another consort?!" Julie huffed.

"We can think about this all later once Kuon actually returns. The Sky Palace believes that Kuon is ready to marry the Crown Princess once he comes out of meditation, but we still don't know where he is," Kuu reminded them.

"I've been spending time looking in the East and South and have asked around, but I still can't seem to find him. I did see something interesting at the Sky Palace though," Lory mentioned.

"While at the assembly there, I met this man who looked almost exactly like Kuon if not for his hair color and eye color. Except I knew it wasn't Kuon when I took a closer look because the man was clearly mortal. I guess I never believed that doppelgängers existed and much less expected Kuon to have one," Lory chuckled.

"A mortal who looks like Kuon? I think I would like to meet him someday," Kuu thought. Julie nodded as well.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading chapter 16 of _Love is Immortal_! And a special thank you to those who reviewed, favorited, or followed after last chapter!**

 **ktoll9-** Sho's just always in the way between Kyoko and Kuon! I think he's one of the most annoying characters I've ever read about, but that makes him such a good villain in fanfics lol.

 **PaulaGaTo-** Lory did tell Kuu and Julie about seeing Ren, but they all concluded that he was a doppelgänger because Ren is mortal while Kuon is immortal. The palace is starting to get much more dangerous for Ren, so you'll have to wait and see what happens and if he's still safe or not next chapter! Thanks for always reviewing and actively following this fic!

 **Acer Quercus-** Before uploading chapters of any fics I write, I always edit them and use a spell check to make sure I don't make any typos! Sometimes typos can just ruin a story, so I try my best to spell words correctly!

 **Guest-** Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter and that it wasn't too long of a wait!


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry for the wait, but here's chapter 17! I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

It had been three months since Ren had last seen Kyoko, but he hadn't once tried to communicate with her via their matching stones since he believed her to be busy from what he heard other servants gossiping about. Since Ruto was also naturally quiet, Ren was left to his own thoughts for most of the three months while he made efforts to restore his small garden. Now the rose bush had fully blossomed, and Ren was hoping Kyoko would come back in time so he could maybe give her a rose as a gift.

Over the past few months, Ren had realized that even if he felt that Kyoko might also harbor feelings for Fuwa Sho, she still liked Ren himself at least a little bit since she spent so much time with him in the mortal realm. And no matter what, Ren was the one who Kyoko married. Even if it wasn't counted the same way in the Heavens, Ren counted it himself. He was also the father to their child, and he loved Kyoko unconditionally. Hopefully one day he would be able to have a larger place in her heart than Sho did.

Speaking of his child, Ren was starting to wonder how Kyoko was faring. He believed that she was probably only tactically handling the aspects of the war since she was probably showing her pregnancy by now, and he really hoped she wasn't putting herself in any danger. He thought back to the baby room he had put together back in the mortal realm and wished that their child would be able to see it one day, but he knew that the child probably wouldn't. If Kyoko's life was any indication, it looked like any child born to the royal family was guaranteed a life of solitude and strict rules.

…

After her troops had received the topographical map that Kuu and Julie had created, Kyoko had some downtime since she had already commanded her troops through a plan to corner Vie Ghoul and wasn't allowed to fight on the frontline due to her pregnancy. Thus, Kyoko found herself walking around the army camp area while waiting for the result of the war, finding herself soon at a beach. When she went down to walk in the sand, she couldn't help but remember walking together with Ren and spending their first beach visit together at the North Sea. Kyoko reached into her robes and pulled out the blue stone Ren had given her as a wedding present, smiling at the fond memories of their time together alone in their hut without a care in the world.

It had been three months since Kyoko had last spoken to Ren. She couldn't help but think that maybe he just didn't want to speak with her after all that had happened. Day after day she had made him wait for her in the mortal realm and even now she was making him wait for her. They could never go back to how they had been before when it was just them in their hut together after Ren was discovered by the Sky Palace, and Kyoko couldn't help but wonder how happy Ren's life would have been if he had never met her. Maybe he would have married a girl from the nearby village and lived a fulfilling life with someone who didn't make him always wait for him. He could have been happy in a simple life with another girl, but instead he had married Kyoko who was anything but normal. Interrupting her thoughts, the blue stone suddenly started to glow amber, making Kyoko's eyes widen in surprise.

"Kyoko? Are you asleep yet?" Ren's voice came out of the stone.

"I'm not," Kyoko responded, smiling at finally hearing her husband's voice again after so many months.

"I see. I heard that the situation in the Far North is dire. Are you alright?"

"I'm doing fine. The baby has been moving around a lot these days. Sometimes I can feel hands and feet, but I don't want our child to be born too soon. I want to be back so you can be there to witness the birth of our child," Kyoko said, holding a hand to her belly. She had started to show, but the silky robes allowed her to still look pretty slim even if she was pregnant.

"I want to be there too," Ren admitted.

"Kyoko, I want to know, that day in the mortal realm when we made our vows to each other, does it still count? Do you really love me?" Ren's voice cracked. Kyoko couldn't help tears from falling onto her cheek, and soon a stream of tears erupted from her eyes partly due to her pregnancy mood swings but also from realizing just how badly she had hurt Ren. It was all her fault that he felt this way. She had even made him believe that she didn't care for him and that their marriage didn't count?!

"It does count! Of course I love you," Kyoko assured him.

"I understand now. Take care. I await your return," Ren replied suddenly, letting go of his pendant to end his talk with Kyoko. Once he had lost contact with her, Ren sat up in bed staring at a fixed point on the floor while trying to gather his emotions. She really did love him somewhat, right? She wasn't one to lie, so he should have believed her when she said she loved him, but he couldn't help but still believe that she loved Sho as well and even more than she loved him. He had a place in her heart sure, but Sho's portion of her heart outshined his by a long shot. No matter what he did, he would never be able to compete with the bond that Kyoko and Sho shared, but he at least hoped that he would always have at least a small part of his Kyoko's heart.

…

"My princess, great victory!" Kanae announced as she hurried into the army camp. She had been at the frontline, relaying many of Kyoko's orders to the troops in her stead, and she was now able to report the end of the war!

"Our troops were able to conjure up rainfall for three days and nights, flooding most of the tunnels that Vie Ghoul was secretly attacking us from. Our enemies were cornered in the central hub of the tunnels where they had stationed their own army camp. Our army captured the leaders of the rebellion, and we are able to return home now as they were thrown into the whirlpool prisons of the South Sea so that they won't be able to instigate a rebellion again. It has been six months, but we are finally victorious," Kanae bowed, glad that the war had finally been won. Kyoko smiled truly and darted to hug her best friend, glad that it was all finally over and that they had been victorious.

Kyoko was able to return to the palace, telling Saena that they had been successful and that Kyoko had not been harmed whatsoever, healthy and ready to give birth soon. Sho heard of her arrival as well, smirking to Shoko who had just informed him of her return.

"Please deliver this to the Hall of Radiance now, and tell the mortal that he has been invited to the Lotus Pond by the Heavenly Empress to admire the flowers and that most family members of the Sky Palace are attending. If the guards try to stop you, tell them that the house arrest was lifted," Sho smirked, handing Shoko a scroll he had prepared. She bowed and hurried off to carry out his orders. When she arrived at the entrance of the Hall of Radiance, the guards did indeed stop her, but she was able to lie her way through to deliver the message. After Ren read the scroll, he accepted the invitation, happy to have the chance to finally leave the Hall of Radiance after so many months. Maybe this would at least give him something to do instead of waiting for Kyoko's return. He followed Shoko, Ruto following silently behind, concerned for his master since he knew there were still people in the Sky Palace after him. He had always believed Sho to be shady, and he wanted to make sure Ren wouldn't be duped.

Ren was confused when he arrived at the lotus pond and only saw Sho standing there. He thought the whole royal family would be attending.

"Ren, there you are! It's unfortunate, but I heard that Kyoko has just returned to the palace and that Empress Mogami cancelled the gathering. Most people have went to welcome Kyoko back. I was waiting here to bring you over to her," Sho grinned.

"That's great. Thank you for taking me to see her," Ren smiled back as Sho led him away from the pond. Ruto attempted to follow but was held back as Shoko grabbed his arm.

"I think they would rather this be a private moment," Shoko said to get him to stay, but he roughly pushed past her, Ren's safety triumphing everything else. Shoko followed him, hoping that he wouldn't get in the way.

Sho led Ren until they stood under a sign reading "Korosu Terrace". Ren couldn't help but feel a chill go through the air at the ominous meaning of the name of the so-called "Killing Terrace", but he shrugged off his qualms about the terrace and followed Sho since Sho had only ever been kind to him. There was no reason he should doubt Sho's good intentions.

Ruto, realizing where Sho was leading Ren, ran forward to stop him, but was prevented as Shoko grabbed his arm harshly.

"Do you not know who you are? A servant of the Sky Palace has the lowest rank. How dare you try to speak to Sho?" Shoko smiled saccharinely.

"My master, Ren, is the father to the Crown Princess's expected child. It is bad luck for the child if his father is exposed to somewhere with a malicious aura such as here," Ruto said, trying to get Shoko off of him. He finally shook her off, but the guards at the entrance of the terrace prevented him from getting to Ren as well, having been ordered by Sho earlier to not let anyone disturb him and Ren. Ruto ran off to get Kyoko as Shoko followed behind.

After climbing the steps of the Korosu Terrace, Ren wondered where Kyoko was as they arrived at a platform with a gaping hole in the center that opened up into what seemed like a black hole. Sho smirked evilly at him, and Ren couldn't help but wonder if maybe Sho had led him to a trap. Maybe Ren had misinterpreted Sho's kindness.

…

"Why would Empress Mogami suddenly gift Sho to you? She's forcing him onto you!" Kanae grumbled as Kyoko and her exited their meeting with Saena on their victory against Vie Ghoul.

"There must be something going on," Kyoko thought as Ruto ran up and bowed in front of her along with Shoko.

"Your Highness-" Ruto started to say before Shoko cut him off.

"Your Highness! Consort Sho had an argument with Ren at the Korosu Terrace!" Shoko wailed. Kyoko's eyes widened in fear at hearing about Ren being at the Korosu Terrace. The Korosu Terrace was an inauspicious place which was heavily guarded to prevent immortals from accidentally falling into the gaping hole up there. No one knew how the terrace had originated, but no one dared to visit and research it. If someone was even partially pushed into the hole, then they would suffer from major injuries. And if someone were to fall in, they would never be seen again. It was said that one's body would be destroyed if they fell in, their soul eternally doomed to floating around the Korosu Terrace and trying to drag other immortals in so that they would have companions in their eternal damnation.

"No! That's not true-" Ruto started to say before Kyoko darted past him, knowing that whatever Ruto was about to say would be the truth. She couldn't stay to listen since if Ren was truly up at the Korosu Terrace with Sho, she had to get there before anything happened.

…

"Where are we?" Ren asked as gusts of wind blew out of the large gaping hole in the center of the terrace. Ren looked in, but all he could see was a black nothingness that was a stark contrast to the celestial luster of the Heavens.

"Do you know that Empress Mogami is holding a conferring ceremony for Kyoko? She's gifting me to Kyoko as a consort since Kyoko and I love each other. The Heavens were never meant for someone like you. After Kyoko gives birth, you should jump off of this terrace to head back to where you belong," Sho motioned to the black hole.

"D-does Kyoko want me to leave? I'm her husband. I'm supposed to stay by her side," Ren countered. Sho smirked once again before seeing Kyoko frantically start to teleport up the steps of the terrace, scared that Sho was planning to push Ren off. Sho immediately grabbed Ren and twisted them around as Ren grabbed onto Sho's arms so that Ren's back was facing the black hole. Kyoko immediately surged forward, and that was when Sho reversed his and Ren's positions, purposely stumbling backwards to fall into the black hole.

Kyoko, however, teleported to them quickly enough that she was able to grab Sho's hand as he fell through the hole, using her strength to lift him out. Sho clung onto her as he was lifted out, wounds inflicted all over his body and his eyes forced shut by a huge cut across them caused by his fall into the hole.

"Kyoko, please don't blame Ren. I believe that he didn't mean to push me. He only heard about my bestowal to you and became jealous," Sho told her.

"Kyoko, I didn't push him!" Ren said, horrified at what had just happened. All this time he had thought Sho was truly being kind to him, but now he had been framed!

Kanae and more guards had followed Kyoko, running up the steps at that point to see a wounded Sho in Kyoko's arms as Ren backed away from the scene, shocked at what had just happened.

"Please believe me, Kyoko! I didn't push him!" Ren begged. Kyoko looked between Sho and Ren, knowing that Sho had faked the scene, but she wouldn't be able to vouch for Ren's innocence. No one would believe that Sho had framed a mortal, and most immortals would blame Ren for the crime just because he was a mortal.

"I can only believe what I saw," Kyoko said to Ren as she stood up, walking down the steps of the terrace to where Kanae and the guards stood. She hoped that she had conveyed to Ren that she did believe him, but her words had been cryptic to avoid those around them from accusing her of siding with Ren. If she sided with him, then her mother would surely find a way to punish him even worse than he would be punished now. Kyoko ordered the guards to lift Sho to bring him to the medic while ordering others to take Ren back to the Hall of Radiance, not letting him leave without her permission.

"I didn't push him!" Ren kept repeating as the guards forced him back to the Hall of Radiance.

...

Kyoko couldn't help but frown, but it wasn't because Sho was hurt. She knew Sho had feigned the conflict with Ren and pretended to be pushed off the Korosu Terrace to frame him. If Ren was accused of pushing Sho off the Korosu Terrace, then Kyoko knew he would be killed. But Kyoko didn't know what to do! If she spoke up for Ren, then Saena would be even more inclined to sentence him to death!

Kyoko had followed the guards to where Sho had been lain, waiting until the palace medic arrived, followed by Saena. Saena's eyes widened in surprise as she took in Sho's heavily injured form. When Sho had offered to get rid of Ren, this wasn't what she had been expecting.

"What happened to his eyes?" Saena asked, looking at the deep cut across them.

"Your Highness, Fuwa-san was going to treat the members of the palace to a banquet, but the Crown Princess returned so he canceled the banquet. Who knew that the mortal would take him to Korosu Terrace and suddenly push him over the edge! Fortunately, the Crown Princess arrived in time to rescue Fuwa-san, and he survived the accident," Shoko explained dramatically.

"Please don't be mad at the mortal. He didn't mean to do this. I think he just became jealous when he found out that I had been bestowed to the Crown Princess," Sho said.

"Don't say anything more. I'll make sure you receive justice for this situation," Saena said.

"Kyoko, Sho is the heir of a loyal kingdom. The Sky Kingdom should treat him kindly, but if this matter isn't handled right, my officials might become disheartened at an injustice to Sho. How do you think Ren should be punished to appease everyone while upholding justice for Sho?" Saena asked. Kyoko was frozen in place, not knowing how to answer.

* * *

 **This chapter might be shorter than the last two, but chapters from this point on will probably be around this length because I love cliffhangers and there's many cliffhangers on upcoming chapters. But on the bright side, shorter chapters means quicker updates hopefully! Thank you for supporting this fic!**

 **ktoll9-** I've only ever watched the Chinese drama called Eternal Love and the corresponding novels, so I had no idea a manga existed until I read your comment and looked it up! I haven't had time to go completely through that one, but from the couple chapters that I read, it seemed like there were some things missing compared to the drama and novels! Well anyways, thank you so much for reading my story! Ren just keeps having bad luck in the Heavens because of the mortal discrimination and because of Sho's tricks especially in this chapter, and it sucks to see him suffer.

 **Crazy4Animation-** You are right about Ren being the one to suffer the most here because of Sho, and I think you know what's about to happen if you've watched the drama. Sho is willing to do anything to be with Kyoko, and it doesn't matter how badly he hurts Ren if he gets what he wants in the end. I personally feel like if you love someone, you should want them to be happy even if their happiness doesn't ultimately end up involving you, but Sho just doesn't do that. He's selfish and wants Kyoko to reciprocate his feelings even if it means costing her happiness with Ren. In the manga, I can't stand how Sho still hasn't grown up and is still just trying to anger Kyoko. He's also willing to cost her newfound confidence and happiness that she gained from acting and by becoming closer with Ren with that stupid bet so that she doesn't fall in love with Ren! Sho's just extremely jealous and doesn't know when to give up on a lost cause, and it's super infuriating. Kohana is a beautiful name that I would have loved to use, but for Kyoko and Ren's child, I spent lots of time researching how Japanese names work and translations of specific ideas to stick to how the drama _Eternal Love_ named the couple's child inauspiciously (I don't want to accidentally reveal the meaning of the name yet since it's a huge spoiler for those who don't know the story, but you might remember what the child Ah-Li's name in _Eternal Love_ means which is the same meaning of the name I'm giving Kyoko and Ren's child). Thank you for your review, and I'm so happy to have a loyal fan of my work!

 **paulagato-** To remember Ren's real identity, unfortunately it's not so simple as a blow to the head since he was placed under a spell by Reino and only Reino can break the spell himself or there's one other way which I can't reveal since it's a major spoiler to the next couple chapters. Since Kuon is actually immortal, his and Kyoko's child will be immortal, and you're right about how it'll cause lots of confusion since usually a mortal and immortal would have a half-mortal and half-immortal baby. Thank you for always leaving a review and supporting my fics, paulagato!

 **IVY-** Kuu and Julie already think of Kyoko as their daughter-in-law, so they're really kind to her! I hope this week's chapter wasn't too long of a wait! Thanks for reviewing!


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello everybody! Here's chapter 18 of _Love is Immortal_! I would say I hope you enjoy, but I don't think this is a very enjoyable chapter... Be forewarned that there's lots of angst coming up.**

* * *

"Ruto, please believe me! I didn't push him," Ren repeated as they were escorted back to the Hall of Radiance.

"I believe you, but when I got there, Fuwa-san was already battered up and saved by the Crown Princess. I want to testify for you, but I'm afraid no one would believe me with my rank. I'm deeply sorry," Ruto frowned.

"You're right. If even Kyoko doesn't believe me, then why would anyone else? She's childhood sweethearts with Fuwa-san. She loves him deeply and surely wouldn't believe me," Ren realized hopelessly.

…

"I didn't see everything that happened, and I only heard what Sho told me which was that Ren didn't do it intentionally. Even if it was unintentional though, Sho's eyes were injured, and as a mortal, Ren pushed a royal immortal off the Korosu Terrace. I think it would appease everyone for Ren to hand over his own eyes and be struck by lightning for three years," Kyoko proposed with a bow. If it was up to her, she would never allow Ren to be punished, but she couldn't do anything until she was officially conferred the seal of the Crown Princess. As of now, she didn't have power to override her mother's orders, so she had to regrettably go along with her mother to keep Saena from wanting to kill Ren.

"That seems just. I will allow this punishment," Saena announced before Kyoko bowed to her again.

"Mother, Ren once saved my life. I feel the need to repay the kindness I received since Ren was only brought to the Sky Palace because of me. I should bear the consequences of this. Please give me your permission to take the three years of lightning torment in his stead," Kyoko entreated.

"You wish to take on his lightning torment?"

"Yes. This is to repay the kindness he showed to me in the mortal realm."

"Fine. I will agree to it, and we will have Ren's eyes taken out today. The medic can have those eyes implanted into Sho so that he can rightfully gain back the sight that was taken from him by the mortal," Saena ordered.

"Thank you, Mother, but there is one more request I want to make. Please allow me to remove Ren's eyes personally," Kyoko requested.

"If you insist on doing it yourself, then I will allow it," Saena agreed as Kyoko left to visit Ren in the Hall of Radiance, her eyes tearing up but not having those tears fall lest someone see them.

As Kyoko entered the Hall of Radiance, she found Ren sitting on the bed with his head in his hands. She couldn't help but let her tears finally flow as the guilt of what she was about to do reminded her just how much she had failed Ren.

"Kyoko, please believe me. I didn't push him," Ren begged as he got up to take one of her hands in his own. Ruto stepped out to give them privacy and to guard the door so that no one would disturb them. Ren would be safe with Kyoko around.

"I believe you, Ren. You didn't push Sho since he jumped down by himself after faking a fight with you. However, Sho was blinded when his eyes were damaged from the fall. I'm so sorry, but the only way that I was able to spare you from death was to suggest taking your eyes out as punishment. Only when you give an eye for an eye will my mother be appeased," Kyoko cried, her tears falling onto their conjoined hands. Ren stepped back, letting go of her hand in shock.

"Why? Why would you say such a thing? I thought you believed me, Kyoko," Ren retreated from her, bumping into his bed and falling onto it. Kyoko only continued approaching him, causing him to laugh at her coldly.

"I should have known all this time that you would always take Fuwa's side," Ren mumbled sardonically. Kyoko hadn't heard what he mumbled, but nevertheless she grabbed his hands in her own, his eyes not even looking at her when she did so.

"Ren, this is all my fault! It's my fault! I couldn't protect you from the immortals here that were out to get you," Kyoko cried as Ren frowned and struggled to get his hands out of her own.

"I will marry you, and from now on I will be your eyes," Kyoko told him as she raised her hand to put over his eyes. He tried to fight her off, but she was forced to do this even though she desperately didn't want to.

Ren struggled to keep her off him, but she used magic to freeze him in place. Looking into his eyes one last time, Kyoko placed her hand over Ren's eyes, removing them with her magic. The last sight Ren ever saw was a sobbing Kyoko before she removed his eyes, and then the world went black.

…

When Ren awoke and couldn't see anything, he sat up in bed and grabbed at his eyes, only finding what felt to be a cloth tied around them. He felt around the bed, trying to get up but only falling onto the floor.

"Master!" Ruto exclaimed as he went to help Ren up.

"The medic said you must not get too agitated. As long as you recuperate for some time, you will get better," Ruto said as he helped Ren back into bed.

"I'll get better? Will I actually get better? What can I do to get better? My eyes are gone! How am I supposed to get better?" Ren wondered despondently.

…

Right after taking out Ren's eyes, Kyoko had gone to the platform of lightning torment where a lightning deity was stationed, waiting for her. She bowed to him as he bowed back.

"I'm here to receive my lightning torment," Kyoko said.

"It will be three mortal years in total which accounts for three days in the Heavens with 49 lightning strikes each day. The lightning won't harm you, but each strike of lightning will feel as if your soul is being torn apart. Many deities pass out from the pain. I'll put a spell on your child so that they don't feel anything and aren't harmed," The deity said, waving his hand as he put a protection spell over Kyoko's child.

"Are you sure you're ready, Crown Princess?"

"I am," Kyoko replied resolutely.

"Then please step up to the platform," The lightning god ordered. Kyoko climbed up the rocky steps to a gigantic stone with chains surrounding it. She put her back to the stone, and the chains immediately surrounded her, securing her in place.

"My apologies, Crown Princess," The lightning god bowed before pointing his hand at her, casting the first bolt of lightning on her. From the first bolt, she felt as if her whole body was being split apart, but she only clenched her fists in response. The second one made her react a bit more, and each successive lightning bolt hurt more and more, making her howl from the pain after bolt 20. But with each stab of pain, she knew she deserved it since she had failed Ren. She had not protected him from the immortals in the Heavens, and he had lost his eyes unjustly after Sho had framed him. It was her fault and this was only the beginning of the punishment she knew she deserved for failing Ren.

…

Kanae was in the Sky Palace throne room, having just delivered a fully detailed report on the recent battle against Vie Ghoul to Saena.

"The North war has won many people's hearts for Kyoko, and they've been requesting for her to accept the Crown Princess seal officially," Kanae bowed after Saena read the report.

"I would like her to accept it now as well, I will have her take it once she gives birth and can withstand the test of the Crown Princess. She shall bear more of the burdens of official matters once she is officially Crown Princess. Tell her of this matter when you get the chance," Saena ordered as Kanae bowed and went to find Kyoko.

Kanae immediately went to Kyoko's quarters where Kyoko who had confined herself to bed after her lightning torment, citing her pregnancy as the reason why she refused to leave her room. She knew she was due any day now, but her pregnancy was not what was keeping her in bed. Kanae had visited her, learning what had happened and how the guilt Kyoko felt from failing Ren was eating away at her.

"Moko-san, do you think that I'm qualified to be given the Crown Princess seal after our victory in the North?" Kyoko asked.

"You contributed to defeating the Pixie Kingdom and neutralized the rebels in the North. Your reputation is also widely known in all the lands, and it's about time Saena gives the seal to you. She told me she would give it to you after your pregnancy since if given the seal, you will have to be tested by 36 bolts of sacred blaze and 9 holy lightning strikes. I'm worried you wouldn't survive if it was to happen earlier. This test will be tough for you either way, no matter when it happens," Kanae explained.

"It doesn't matter. I had thought that by staying away from Ren and pretending to not care when others were around that I could protect him, but I was wrong. Now I know that no matter what I do, my mother will have him killed if I don't marry him and give him an official title. Once I'm given the Crown Princess's seal, I won't have to worry about anyone else. I can marry Ren, and no one will be able to say anything," Kyoko reasoned.

…

It had been a few days since he had lost his eyes, and Ren wanted to do something to drag himself out of the hole of depression he was currently in. He had started to try walking around by feeling his way around the walls, soon finding himself outside on the patio.

He had always believed that after Kyoko had given birth, they could maybe visit LME again together to see what the scenery had changed into that day, possibly with their child as well, but he knew now his dreams would never come true. How could he see something with her if he didn't have eyes anymore? And she probably wouldn't even want to spend time with him since she would probably rather spend the time with Sho instead.

"You know your eyesight means nothing to her," Ren heard a voice that made him want to strangle its owner and wipe the smirk off his face.

"Fuwa," Ren frowned as Sho walked into the Hall of Radiance, his eyes fully functional since his damaged ones had been replaced with Ren's.

"How is your injury? Does it still hurt?" Sho smirked.

"I trusted you. How could you harm me like this? You hurt your own eyes, but you also caused me to lose mine! What do you gain from this?" Ren wondered.

"I came today to tell you that your eyes are pretty useful. My vision's never been better," Sho said, smirking as he circled around Ren who could only hear Sho's voice circling around him.

"You're using my eyes?"

"Did Kyoko not tell you? She took out your eyes to give to me. Do you still not understand my relationship with her? You can continue to stay in the Hall of Radiance, but just remember that this is only my charity to you," Sho laughed wickedly as he sauntered away, leaving Ren alone, gripping the banister of the patio tightly until his knuckles turned white. As Ren listened to Sho's annoying laugh, he felt rage build up inside of him and threw a punch into the column, denting it. Ruto hurriedly came up to bandage his bleeding hand. After losing his eyes, Ren had changed, and Ruto was worried since it seemed as if Ren was cynical to the world, no longer caring about what happened to him.

As Ruto bandaged his hand, Ren thought about how he now knew he had gotten between a lover's scuffle. He had always only been an obstacle between Sho and Kyoko. She didn't love him even if he loved her more than the world itself. She had been on Sho's side the entire time, not even bothering to tell Ren that she would be giving his eyes to Sho.

It was like Ren had lost everything. First his freedom, then his sight, and now his love. Staying in the Sky Palace was only a constant reminder of what he had lost, and Ren longed to return home to the mortal realm. Sho had mentioned earlier that if he jumped off of Korosu Terrace, then he would return to where he belonged. Maybe that was what he ought to do.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading this chapter! I wrote the next chapter already, but I realize I probably want to change a lot in it because some characters seem OOC, so it might be a little longer than usual until the next chapter. But hopefully I can edit it to my liking in less than a week to get the chapter out earlier to you guys! Thank you to all who've supported this fic!**

 **Erza Tsuruga-** With a manga like Skip Beat! that always has cliffhangers which we have to wait a month for to get sorted out, sometimes the cliffhangers just give me something to look forward to the next month to see what happens! After I read the next chapter, the relief I feel is almost always worth the panic that I had felt from the cliffhanger. I hate cliffhangers on chapters where the author doesn't update for a while, and I forget about the story, but I'm usually patient especially since I follow the slow updates of Skip Beat!. The actual novel that I'm basing this story off of is amazing and is what inspired me to write this in the first place! Thanks for reviewing!

 **ktoll9-** I love romance stories mixed with a little bit of angst! That's one of the main reasons why _Eternal Love_ is one of my favorite romance stories ever because of how amazing the love story is between the two leads! (but my all-time favorite is still Skip Beat!) I've never heard of _Bride of the Water God_ , but I looked up some pictures and the main male lead reminds me of Ren for some reason! I'll have to give it a read when I have time since it looks really interesting and is finished! Thanks for the review!

 **Crazy4Animation-** Kyoko has good intentions, but she's misunderstanding what she needs to do to protect Ren while Ren is misunderstanding that Kyoko is in love with Sho. These misunderstandings are ultimately going to lead to a dark path, and you're right about the upcoming chapters not being that happy. The next chapters will be angsty, but we'll be back to some more comedy and happiness in about 5 chapters or so ;). Thanks for reviewing!

 **Ivy-** I hope you enjoyed this chapter after the cliffhanger last chapter! Thanks for the review!

 **paulagato-** I apologize about the upcoming chapters that will also be pretty short, but I hope these shorter chapters will enable me to update more quickly! Kyoko wasn't able to save Ren from punishment unfortunately, and she even was punished herself. Reino won't be the one to free Ren from the spell, but we're getting closer and closer until the spell is broken. If you do watch the drama, you might get to where the spell is broken before I update this fic to that point! Please don't think your questions are stupid though, because they definitely aren't! I'm just hesitant to answer some because it would spoil a huge part of the story, but please don't think your questions are stupid! Thank you for always reviewing!


	19. Chapter 19

"Moko-san, can you help me to get to the Hall of Radiance? I really need to see Ren right now," Kyoko begged.

"I don't think it's wise that you exert yourself too much in this state. Aren't you due any day now? You also just recovered from your lightning torment."

"I want Ren to be there when our child is born. Please, Moko-san?" Kyoko had sat up now, looking at Kanae with a puffed out lip and puppy dog eyes.

"Mo! Fine! Just make sure you keep a hold on me so that you don't fall!" Kanae said as she grabbed one of Kyoko's hands, helping her stand up.

"Let's go," Kyoko said, trying to hide the pain from the contractions she was feeling.

…

It felt like it had taken hours for her to get to the Hall of Radiance, but in reality it had only been a couple minutes. However, Kyoko's contractions were getting increasingly painful and more frequent, and she was glad when she had finally arrived at the Hall of Radiance.

"Thank you, Moko-san," Kyoko tried to smile as Kanae led her up the steps onto the patio of the Hall of Radiance, but Kyoko couldn't help but wince painfully as a contraction hit. Kanae looked at her with concern after the contraction subsided.

"Mo! Don't tell me you're going into labor right now!"

"Moko-san, that's why I asked you to bring me here," Kyoko smiled sheepishly.

"Mo! Ren-san! Ruto-san! Please! Help!" Kanae yelled. Moments later, Ruto appeared with Ren slowly following behind him, using the walls to navigate. Kanae felt guilty that she had called for Ren since she knew now that he probably couldn't help Kyoko much in this state.

"Ruto-san, could you help me put Kyoko down on a bed? She's going into labor," Kanae asked. Ruto immediately wrapped one of Kyoko's arms around his shoulders like Kanae had done, and both dragged her to Ren's bed to set her down before she howled in pain again as a contraction hit.

"I'll go get the palace medic right now!" Kanae announced, running out of the Hall of Radiance. Ren made his way back to his bed, kneeling down next to it, and tried to feel around for Kyoko's hand. He felt relieved when Kyoko understood his intentions, squeezing his hand in her own.

"Kyoko, I'm sorry I can't be of much help right now," Ren looked down guiltily before Kyoko squeezed his hand tightly as another of her contractions hit.

"Just you being here is enough," Kyoko replied after the contraction subsided.

"Crown Princess!" The palace medic exclaimed, rushing to her side as Kanae trailed behind, followed by three palace maids bringing in bowls of water. The servants quickly dipped cloths in the water to wipe away the sweat accumulating on Kyoko's brow.

As Kyoko's contractions became closer and closer together, she was told to try pushing. She squeezed Ren's hand tightly on every push, glad that he was there beside her. Kyoko was surprised at how little pushing she had to do before her child was born, but she collapsed onto the bed after one final push that finally resulted in a cry from the newborn baby.

"Congratulations, Crown Princess, on the birth of your daughter," The medic smiled as the maids wrapped the baby in a blanket. As they finished and placed the child next to Kyoko's side, they congratulated her as well. Kyoko smiled tiredly as she tried to pull back the blanket a bit to look at her daughter's face, but she was stunned when she saw a cute baby girl with chubby cheeks, dark brown hair, and emerald eyes staring back at her. Green eyes? Both Kyoko and Ren had brownish eyes, so how had this happened?

"Do you know why she has green eyes?" Kyoko asked the medic.

"It is peculiar. Especially with how vibrant her eyes are. But sometimes these things happen," The medic replied.

"She has green eyes?" Ren wondered. Kyoko took his hand in her own, regretful that he would never be able to see how his daughter looked since he had lost his vision.

"Yes. Would you like to feel her?" Kyoko asked bringing Ren's hand closer to their daughter, but at the last second he flinched his hand out of her grasp. She looked down dejectedly. She deserved for him to act this way towards her.

"I'm feeling a little tired, so I'm going to take a little nap. You're welcome to hold her whenever you feel ready," Kyoko told him, turning her body away from Ren to take a nap. When he heard her breathing slow down, he ventured his hand out to try to hold his daughter's tiny hand in his own.

Ren didn't want to get too close to his daughter since he knew he wouldn't be staying in the Heavens for much longer. She was a princess, so hopefully they wouldn't give her as much trouble as they did to him. He wanted his daughter to have an easier life in the Heavens, and he hoped that after his departure, she would not be linked to having a mortal father. She deserved better than he had to give her, even if his dream was to raise her with Kyoko back in the mortal realm. However, that wasn't possible anymore, and Ren would just have to settle with going back by himself. Soon, he would jump off the Korosu Terrace so that he could finally return to where he belonged, just like Sho had told him.

...

When Kyoko woke up, she got out of bed to find that no one was in the Hall of Radiance except for two of her own servants that were waiting to help her back to her own quarters. However, while she was trying to get up, Ren and Ruto returned.

"Oh, I didn't know you've been walking around the palace lately, Ren. I'm glad that the house arrest was lifted," Kyoko smiled upon seeing him, her servants helping her stand up. She was feeling infinitely better after the nap already, so she probably didn't need the help, but it was appreciated.

"Just needed some fresh air," Ren replied.

"The palace maids took our daughter back to my own quarters, but I wanted to ask if you were willing to name her?" Kyoko asked with a smile.

"Sure. I'll tell you her name next time we meet," Ren replied curtly, feeling his way around the walls to sit back down on his bed. The sheets had been freshly washed and changed out after Kyoko's pregnancy, so Ren was surprised by the unfamiliar feel of the sheets.

"The next time I'm back, I'll bring fabric so we can choose our wedding clothes together. We'll be able to marry very soon. Once you're Crown Prince, we won't have to care about other peoples' opinions and can start living the life we want," Kyoko smiled and went to touch his shoulder comfortingly, but he flinched away again.

"I know you're busy. Go attend to your affairs, and I'll see you next time you visit. I'm a bit tired, so I'm going to rest," Ren said, immediately lying down in his bed. Kyoko wanted to argue that she would stay here for him if he needed her, but she looked down sadly as she realized he probably just needed some alone time again. As her servants helped her to the patio of the Hall of Radiance, she motioned for Ruto to talk to her.

"I will be receiving the Crown Princess's seal in a few days. I will be struck with 36 sacred blazes and 9 holy lightning bolts. If Ren hears the thunder, don't tell him the truth. I'm afraid he'll be worried," Kyoko requested. Ruto bowed to her, understanding her command, as she continued to walk back to her own quarters.

…

A few days after Kyoko had given birth and had recovered, Saena invited all immortals to the Sky Palace to witness Kyoko receiving the Crown Princess seal. Kyoko, dressed in an elegant purple robe adorned with the embroidery of irises on the skirt and teardrop crystals lining the bodice, was gradually making her way to the throne room as the immortals who had visited the palace cheered around her. Once she entered the throne room and stood in front of Saena, she went into a kneeled bow. Saena motioned for a servant to carry the tray bearing the Crown Princess seal over to her, and Kyoko took the tray, bowing once more to Saena.

"With these regalia bestowed upon you, you are officially conferred the title of Crown Princess to preside over the Sky Palace and to place the unity of the Heavens and the hearts of your people around the world above all else," Saena declared. The deities around Kyoko all bowed at Saena's proclamation.

"Congratulations, Crown Princess," They all said as they bowed on their knees, watching as Kyoko carried the tray outside, walking out of the throne room to the entrance of the Sky Palace as the skies turned dark and crackled with lightning.

Kyoko looked up once before closing her eyes as the first holy lightning bolt struck her, the pain from that one bolt even worse than her whole three days of lightning torment.

In the Hall of Radiance, Ren felt a chill in the air as he heard the first bolt of holy lightning.

"Ruto? Why do I hear thunder?" Ren asked.

"It is in celebration of the Crown Princess officially receiving the Crown Princess seal," Ruto lied. Ren couldn't help but wonder why they would use lightning and thunder to celebrate. For some reason, the sounds of crackling lightning only made him worry.

Kyoko took on each heavenly strike, barely flinching even though each hit felt as if her soul was shattering into millions of pieces. Once Kyoko had endured the entire test standing up strongly the whole time, she turned back towards the throne room to kneel and bow in front of Saena once again. The immortals all congratulated her once more since she had officially passed the test and had been proclaimed Crown Princess officially. Amidst the cheers, Kyoko thanked everyone but told them that she would need to resign herself to her own quarters to rest. Once inside her own bedroom by herself, Kyoko collapsed onto her bed, falling unconscious after the extreme amount of pain she had just went through. The only way that she had made it through was by telling herself that her people had not left yet, and she needed to stay strong until she was out of the public eye.

…

After she had woken up from a long nap and took a visit to the palace medic, Kyoko ordered her servants to send a multitude of fabrics to the Hall of Radiance. She wanted to see Ren after how much torture she had just went through, and now that she was officially Crown Princess, she wanted to officially marry Ren into the Sky Palace so that his troubles would all be over. Once he had a title, no one could touch him.

When Kyoko herself went to the Hall of Radiance, she found Ren on the floor with the fabrics surrounding him. She knelt down next to him, taking his hand and putting it on the nearest fabric, a silky black. He cautiously felt it, trying to smile in Kyoko's presence.

"It must have a very beautiful color," Ren remarked as he felt the fabric.

"Actually, it's just a fine black silk," Kyoko replied. Ren only nodded in response, taking his hand off the fabric.

"So we're getting married again? I thought you said our vows in the mortal realm counted already?"

"Even so, the palace wants an official wedding ceremony. Our vows from before count, but this is just a show we need to put on for the palace," Kyoko replied, taking Ren's hand to put it on another piece of fabric. As he felt this other fabric, Ren couldn't help but believe that she was just marrying him officially out of pity.

"I've been thinking about a name for our daughter. I want to call her Hana. Is this a good name?" Ren asked.

"It sounds very beauti-" Kyoko began to say before Ren cut her off.

"I'm not talking about the "hana" used for flower. Her name should be Hana, short for Hanare, meaning separation," Ren elaborated. Kyoko looked to him in shock.

"Are you sure? The name doesn't seem that auspicious?" Kyoko asked, wondering why Ren would choose such a name.

"I'm sure," Ren replied. Kyoko realized wrongly the name to be symbolic of how Ren and Kyoko were separated from the mortal realm that they used to live in together, not knowing the real reason behind Ren's choice of name. He intended to leave Kyoko and Hana since he knew they would be better off without him, thus he would soon be separated from them.

"Then her name will be Mogami Hana. Once you pick a fabric, tell Ruto and we'll get your wedding attire made. I'll see you once again in ten days for our wedding."

"Kyoko, I can't see anything. There must be many protocols during the wedding. I don't want you to be made fun of for marrying someone like me," Ren responded.

"I don't care about what the others say. I want to be with you," Kyoko assured him.

"You must have official matters to attend to. You should go," Ren reminded her.

"Do you really want me to leave right now, Ren?" Kyoko asked, disheartened.

"You have better things to do than to stay here with me. Go on, Kyoko," Ren repeated.

Kyoko opened her mouth to argue but closed it again when she realized that Ren probably was asking for some alone time. Leaving the Hall of Radiance, Kyoko felt worried that she had ruined everything she had with him before. He had been acting so strangely and pushing her away, and she started to believe that it was probably because he couldn't forgive her for letting his eyes be stolen. The reason why he flinched away from so many of her touches and why he wanted to be alone so often was because he couldn't stand her presence anymore. That was the only explanation.

Once Kyoko had left, Ren turned to Ruto to make a request. "Can we go to Korosu Terrace again?"

"Master, why do you always desire to walk there? It is an inauspicious place," Ruto wondered.

"I only want to smell the fragrance of the flowers along the way," Ren replied as Ruto helped him get up, taking the same path to Korosu Terrace as they had so many times over the past few days already with Ruto walking next to Ren as he used his hands to feel the way to the Korosu Terrace. Ren was determined to commit the path to memory so that he would be able to travel it himself the day he decided to leave the Sky Palace for good.

…

"She did what?!" Saena asked, shocked at what Sho had just told her.

"She fought against the decree that bestowed me to her, and I've heard from the servants that she plans to marry that mortal in 10 days. She's supposed to be marrying me, not him!" Sho frowned.

"After she received the Crown Princess seal, she's taking a side consort? What am I to do? She's already Crown Princess, and I don't have that much say over who she wants to marry other than her previous marriage arrangement to Hizuri Kuon. She can't fight an imperial decree though, so I'll make sure your wedding with her still takes place," Saena assured Sho who nodded with a grin.

"She's bound to get over this mortal some day. I just hope she doesn't spend her whole life on him. When Hizuri Kuon marries her, I hope he will sway her heart. He is known as the number one desired bachelor in the world, so he has the greatest ability to sway her heart away from that mortal," Saena hoped. Kyoko's affection for Ren was only giving Saena a headache, and he was annoying her more and more with his existence every single day. She wished she could just get rid of him already!

* * *

 **I hope I didn't make you all wait too long for this chapter! For some reason, this chapter has been the most difficult to write so far, but I hope the finished product was worth it. Thank you for all of your support on this fic, and especially to those who take the time to review!**

 **ivy-** Glad you like last chapter! Ren's trying to distance himself from Kyoko since he believes she loves Sho instead, but in reality they're both very much in love with each other! Their love is still strong for each other, but both are having misunderstandings that cause it to look like they're falling out of love. Thank you for reviewing!

 **ktoll9-** Sho's an annoying little jerk that just can't learn that he's just not wanted by Kyoko. I wish he would just stop harassing her, but it won't happen until he learns that he lost his chance with her and won't be able to regain his past position ever. I'm glad you enjoyed last chapter! Thank you for reviewing!

 **Paulagato-** Unfortunately, Ren still thinks that Kyoko loves Sho instead of him, and he's resolved to trying to return back to the mortal realm by jumping off the Korosu Terrace to give both Kyoko and his daughter a better life. He just doesn't know that Sho tricked him yet and that jumping off the Korosu Terrace will kill him. Thanks for always leaving reviews, and I'm so glad that you like the fic!

 **Ashenvale-** Kyoko knew that Ren was innocent, but Saena and Sho are determined to make Ren suffer in any way and framed him. Saena is the Heavenly Empress, so Kyoko knew that she couldn't go against her mother's words yet until she gained the Crown Princess seal. Thanks for taking the time to review!

 **panda00-** Since you've seen the story, I'm planning to stick to the story of Eternal Love pretty much until the protagonist regains her memories as an immortal and decides to forget everything by drinking an amnesia potion. After they meet again, I plan to change a lot more of the story to fit Skip Beat! characters, and the ending of this fic will definitely not be the same as either the movie or the drama version because Kyoko doesn't have a secret twin and Rick won't be coming back to life since he was killed differently. I hope I answered your question!

 **Guest-** Whenever I rewatch the upcoming scene, my heart always breaks! It's been hard to write Ren suffering and Sho getting away with hurting him, but luckily it'll be over soon. I'm so happy that this is one of your favorite fanfics! Thank you for taking the time to review!

 **Crazy4Animation-** Ren's suffering is almost over since you've seen Eternal Love and know what happens next. Unfortunately, you also probably know that Sho won't get retribution until much later -.-


	20. Chapter 20

**I know it's been a longer than usual wait for this chapter, but unfortunately it looks like my new update schedule will be about one chapter every week due to me having less time in my life to write right now. Thank you for sticking around!**

 **This chapter was one that I had pictured in my head dozens of times before finally deciding to write this story, and thus it went through double the edits as usual so that I could release the version which I am really proud of.**

* * *

"Master, the Crown Princess sent over your daughter so that you could spend some time with her before the wedding," Ruto announced with Hana sleeping soundlessly in his arms. The palace servants had just finished decorating the Hall of Radiance with colorful banners and decorations to celebrate Ren and Kyoko's upcoming wedding, and the atmosphere was very lively except for one corner of the hall where a certain mortal was sitting quietly on his bed, silently affirming his decision to leave the Sky Palace for good. Ren had come to terms with the fact that he would never have a larger part of Kyoko's heart than Sho. Today was as good of a time to leave as any, before he was even more of an obstacle between Sho and Kyoko after Kyoko married him.

"Thank you for telling me, but could you take care of her for a while instead, Ruto? I need to take a walk for some fresh air," Ren said as he got up off his bed and made his way to the wall so that he could feel around to where he needed to go.

"I understand, Master. Are you sure you don't need a servant to come with you?"

"I'll be fine," Ren replied, making his way out of the Hall of Radiance by himself. As he climbed down the stairs of the patio, he felt guilty that he hadn't even held his daughter once and was already leaving her, but he knew it would have made it harder for him to leave. She would be better off with his absence and would grow up as the princess she deserved to be. She wouldn't go through the struggles that Ren had since he had been a mortal. Hana didn't need to grow up watching her mother married to a mortal even though she was in love with another man. Ren was confident that Hana would grow up just fine without him, especially since she would have Kyoko as her mother. He wished that he could witness her growing up but those were only selfish thoughts. He was doing what was best for her.

A surge of jealousy overtook Ren as he thought about how Sho might take on the role of Hana's father after he left, but Ren had already made his choice to leave. Kyoko was in love with Sho, and she could start a family with the man she loved instead of with a mortal who she only married out of pity. Once Ren was gone, Kyoko and Sho's relationship would be fixed, and they could live happily ever after. For Kyoko's happiness, Ren would do anything, even sacrifice his own happiness. With that last thought, Ren slowly stumbled onwards to Korosu Terrace for the very last time.

...

Fuwa Yayoi scrutinized Kyoko with a frown as she entered wearing a beautiful white wedding kimono, her long black tresses tied up in an elegant bun. Her dress was embroidered with white roses, and the dress flowed around Kyoko beautifully.

"You're really going to marry that mortal?" Yayoi asked in disbelief. Kyoko nodded her head with a smile.

"I love him. Now that I'm officially Crown Princess, I'm going to make sure my life goes the way I want it to. Marrying Ren is the first choice I'm making against my mother, and I don't regret it whatsoever," Kyoko replied.

"Don't you know that my son loves you?! Why do you have to be stuck on that mortal instead? I had always imagined you would marry my son, especially with how close together you two were growing up."

"Fuwa-san, I'm sorry, but I don't love your son. Maybe I had a small crush in the past, but I never truly loved him. Even though he might love me now, I can't reciprocate his feelings. I don't want to marry him," Kyoko said. Yayoi opened her mouth to retort, but suddenly Ruto came in, carrying the newborn princess in his arms.

"Crown Princess, the young princess won't stop crying. She won't stop no matter what I do," Ruto explained. Kyoko immediately went to his side to try to soothe her daughter but to no avail.

"What's going on? Why is she acting like this? Hana is usually very obedient. I'm not sure why she's acting this way today," Kyoko said confusedly. Kyoko tried to scour her mind for any reasons on why her daughter was acting up today and suddenly felt an ominous chill through the air. Something felt wrong. It was almost like a bad omen that Hana wouldn't stop crying...

"I need to check on Ren. Can you try calming her down, Fuwa-san?" Kyoko requested, zooming out of the door to run to the Hall of Radiance. When she arrived there however, Ren was nowhere to be found.

"Ren!" Kyoko called out worriedly. She hurried out to the patio and rushed around the building to try to find him, but Ren wasn't there either. Kyoko flicked her hand to cast a spell, the blue stone that Ren had given her as a wedding present suddenly appearing in her hand. She sighed in relief when she found it glowing amber. He was alright. He hadn't been taken away by someone trying to sabotage their wedding day. He was probably just out for a walk.

"Ren? Where are you? Did you go for a walk again?" Kyoko asked into the stone.

"Kyoko. I'm leaving now," Ren replied. Kyoko felt her heart stop. Leave? She hadn't known that their relationship had declined so much that he wanted to separate from her, but how did he plan to leave? There was no way out of the Sky Palace for someone without magic.

"What are you talking about? Where are you? I'll come get you," Kyoko said, running towards the exit of the Hall of Radiance.

"Don't look for me. I'll be fine on my own," Ren replied, starting up the steps to the Korosu Terrace.

"Ren! Where are you?!"

"Take good care of Hana for me. Don't tell her that her father is just a mortal," Ren said as he climbed up the final steps to the Korosu Terrace, the wind from the black hole in the center flowing through his brown locks and signaling to him that he was finally at the top.

"Ren! Please tell me where you are! I'll come get you!" Kyoko begged. After a silence on the other end, Ren finally responded, knowing that she wouldn't be able to stop him even if he told her where he was.

"I'm at Korosu Terrace. Fuwa-san once told me that I could go back to where I belonged if I jumped off."

Kyoko felt her breath halt and her eyes brimmed with tears as she teleported herself to Korosu Terrace. She should have seen the signs earlier. He had never once held Hana and had touched her minimally. Ren had started to flinch away from Kyoko herself as well. He had begun to hate her, and it was to the point where he had even decided that he didn't want to spend any more time in her presence. She had to get to him, tell him that their relationship could be fixed and that he didn't need to resort to this extreme. He probably had no idea that the Korosu Terrace would kill him.

She tried to teleport herself to the top where she saw Ren was, but the inauspicious aura of the terrace was messing with her powers and only letting her teleport in short bursts forward. Kyoko resorted to running up the steps while attempting to use her powers whenever they would work, hoping she would get there in time before Ren made a huge mistake.

"Kyoko. Let me go and I'll let you go. We don't need to owe each other anything now," Ren said into his pendant as he took it in his hands and ripped it off his neck, the stone fading into its natural blue color and cutting off Kyoko's communication with him. Kyoko made it to the Korosu Terrace as Ren undid the cloth surrounding his eyes, the white silk soaring through the air towards her. He didn't need the cloth anymore. When he was back in the mortal realm, he wouldn't need to hide his injured eyes from anyone anymore. He would be back by himself, just like he had been before.

Ren took a deep breath before stepping forward and jumping into the darkness. Kyoko sprinted up the remaining steps of the Korosu Terrace and teleported herself forward immediately as he jumped, running the remaining distance to catch up to him. She reached out to save him, but only managed to grasp a handful of his robe, the fabric slipping out of her grasp. She dived into the black hole after him, hoping that she could save him, but it was pitch black and she couldn't see anything through the darkness engulfing her. Kyoko was rapidly losing energy as the darkness seemed to drain her of her life force.

She could save herself still, but at this point, she wasn't sure if she wanted to. What would be waiting for her if she returned? Her mother's never-ending disapproval, a man she was being forced to marry even though she hated him, the constant expectation to act like a perfect princess and hide her true self? A world without Ren...

If she went back, Kyoko would be going back to a world where Ren no longer existed, a world where the memory of him would overwhelm her with sadness every day because of her failure to save him. If she survived, she would live with the knowledge that she had caused Ren's demise. She had hurt the one person she ever loved to the point that he would rather leave than spend another minute with her.

But then Kyoko remembered Hana. She was not only Kyoko's daughter but Ren's as well. If Kyoko didn't survive, then Hana would be left an orphan. She would live a wretched existence, everyone in the world constantly pitying the poor princess whose parents had left her all alone less than a month after she had been born without a word. Kyoko couldn't let that happen to her daughter, to _Ren's_ daughter. Who else would be left to take care of her?

Kyoko used the last of her energy to teleport herself out of the darkness, landing on the floor of the Korosu Terrace, unconscious and barely alive.

...

As he fell though the darkness, Ren was swept up in a blue light, his hair and eyes changing back to their natural blonde and emerald hues as a plethora of slashes adorned his body. The spell placed on him by Reino had broken with his death as a mortal. The blue light intensified, and Ren vanished into it, being deposited on the banks of LME, bloody and unconscious.

…

Luckily, the guards stationed near Korosu Terrace had followed Kyoko and had witnessed her jumping into the black abyss and teleporting out a few moments later. Bloody, beaten, and rendered unconscious, they had immediately brought her back to her quarters and called the palace medic as Saena rushed into the room, speechless at what had just transpired. Word quickly spread around the palace that the Crown Princess had tried to take her own life after her mortal lover had. One maid in particular who heard the news desperately rushed back to her charge's room to tell him the news.

"Sho! You have to go visit the Crown Princess now!" Shoko screamed as she ran into Sho's room. He raised a confused eyebrow at her.

"Her Highness jumped off Korosu Terrace! It's not known whether she'll survive!" Shoko wailed. Sho widened his eyes in shock and ran towards Kyoko's quarters, fearing that she would lose her life before he could see her. As he approached the front of Kyoko's room, Sho was stopped by a guard.

"Let me in!" Sho demanded.

"Your Highness, I have been ordered not to allow entry to anyone but medical professionals," The guard bowed.

"I've been told I could be of some assistance?" Lory asked the guard as he approached the pair. Saena had sent her servants to ask Lory to come and see if his medical expertise could be of use to save Kyoko's life. He had once been known as an expert healer, but he had ceased his medical practice after so many thousands of years of healing countless immortals. He retired to LME, his reputation still staying intact and only the most high-ranking immortals and the Fairy Kingdom's royal family being allowed any medical treatment from Lory. And that was only for extreme cases.

"Yes, High God," The guard agreed, moving out of the way for Lory but immediately stepping right back in place as Sho tried to push past as well.

"Please return to your quarters, Your Highness," The guard ordered. Sho growled at him in anger.

"Let me in, you bast-"

"Sho, we should just do as he says," Shoko interrupted him.

"Why can't I see her?!" Sho whined.

"Didn't you hear the guard? Only medical personnel are allowed in!"

"But I'm Fuwa Sho! I'm her soon-to-be-husband!" Sho yelled.

"Sho-"

"I won't leave. I'm staying here until she wakes up even if they won't let me in," Sho declared. Shoko sighed and pulled her charge to the side so that they wouldn't block any medics trying to enter. He was stubborn, but at least this meant he really did care for the girl.

…

As Lory entered Kyoko's quarters to see her battered form laying on the bed, he channeled his own cultivated healing magic to Kyoko, healing her completely in only a few seconds. He had spent his retirement cultivating his healing powers to directly touch an immortal's soul and heal starting from there rather than their extremities. It was still a prototype kind of magic, but Lory had been forced to try it or else Kyoko might not have stood a chance at surviving. He sighed in relief as he gazed into her soul and saw that it had worked. Lory turned his head as he heard someone coughing and saw Saena silently scrutinizing him.

"High God Lory? Will she live?" Saena wondered.

"I was able to heal her completely. However, whether she wakes up will depend on her luck and will to survive," Lory replied.

"You're saying there's a chance my daughter will never wake up?"

"It's highly likely. It seems that she's gone through a heartbreak that I'm not sure she wants to live through. The pain of the heart might lead her to giving up on living any longer. It's a pity that love is so two-faced. It can be the most wonderful thing in the world at times and can devastate one's soul completely after it is gone," Lory mused.

"Thank you for your help, High God, but how would you like me to repay you for how much you've helped the Sky Palace today?" Saena asked.

"There's no need. I just hope she wakes up. Summon anyone she cares about to accompany her for the next few days," Lory said before bidding farewell to return to LME.

…

When Lory got back to LME, he stopped the rain that had been pouring in his absence. To reflect his low spirits after another few days of not finding Kuon, he had decided to cast rain upon LME earlier that day. He cleared the fog that had accumulated and smiled at the beautiful, lush green meadow he now stood in, but he felt like someone else was there. Walking around, he gasped as he saw Kuon lying half dead on the ground. Lory ran to his side, casting a healing beam to his body.

"Kuon!" Lory exclaimed as Kuon started to open his eyes. Lory helped him sit up, watching as Kuon raised his hand to his face, looking at it almost like he was staring right through it, his eyes downcast.

"Fortunately you're not in moral danger. You only had a few minor wounds, but where did your eyes go? I was able to give you a temporary set, but I'm afraid they won't work exactly the same as your old ones did. But at least they'll work for now," Lory sighed in relief. Kuon had tried to look at his hands and was relieved to find his vision was back albeit a little blurry.

"Could you tell me what happened to you? Your parents have been searching for you tirelessly! Now I find you injured in LME and blinded! I also can see that your aura has changed. You've ascended to High God! Can you tell me how you ended up like this? Did you go through your heavenly trial?" Lory asked. Kuon only looked down despondently, replaying his whole ordeal at the Sky Palace in his head. Lory waited for Kuon to respond but spoke up when he realized Kuon wouldn't say anything.

"What? Don't tell me you eloped with a lady who beat you and left you out here to die?" Lory quipped with a small smile to lighten the heavy atmosphere, but this only caused Kuon to sink into himself further to Lory's horror. Lory hadn't seen anything like this before with Kuon. Not even when Rick died.

"When I sealed away King Reino, he sealed my memories and powers, casting a spell on my looks before leaving me powerless in the mortal realm. I underwent a heavenly trial," Kuon spoke, his eyes glazed over from the pain caused by his life as a mortal.

"Don't tell me you were that mortal in the Sky Palace?!" Lory gasped.

"I fell in love for the first time, but it turned out that she didn't love me back like I thought she did," Kuon sighed. He replayed his memories again in his head and felt his heart breaking all over again, his eyes tearing up.

"Boss, I remember you have a medicine that when taken one can forget things they don't want to remember?" Kuon asked.

"I imagine these past few years must have been very depressing for you, but are you sure you want to forget? It's your choice, but I have to warn you that there's no way to undo the effects of the medicine. You asked me for the medicine before when we lost High God Rick, but you didn't take it in the end. Are you sure you want to take the medicine now? Why don't you wait a few days before making a decision?" Lory asked again. Kuon could only replay his whole mortal life in his head again and again, the memories haunting him. Whenever a glimpse of Kyoko popped up in his mind's eye, Kuon felt his heart shattering all over again as he remembered how his love was unrequited. Over and over again, Kuon was reminded that he would never amount to anything in her heart, and the pain was intolerable. Lory watched as the tears that had been accumulating in Kuon's eyes silently fell down his face. Lory had never before seen Kuon cry, and he felt his heart go out to the boy who had suffered so much in the Sky Palace.

"I've already made my decision. In the years that flew by, I merely experienced a heavenly trial to ascend to High God. Since the trial has already passed, there are some things that I don't need to remember," Kuon choked out, wiping the tears from his eyes and grabbing his hair tightly to shake the memories out of his head, just wanting the memories to leave his mind once and for all. Over the last few years, he had experienced true love for the very first time, but he had also experienced a devastating heartbreak when he realized that Kyoko had never been in love with him. She had always loved Sho, and he had only gotten in between the two. She didn't care about him no matter how much he cared for her, even letting his eyes be given to Sho for a crime he didn't commit.

Kuon knew that the memories he had with Kyoko were the only remnants of her he had left, but he couldn't live with the pain caused by his unrequited love. When he had decided not to take the memory potion after Rick's death, it had been because he had inflicted the memories as punishment on himself for murdering his master. He had owed Rick that. But this time it was different. Kyoko had Sho, and Kuon didn't owe her anything anymore. He could move on with his life and go back to how he used to be. He just needed to cease to remember that he ever met Kyoko so that he could get over the heartbreak she had caused him. He absolutely needed to forget her.

* * *

 **I know I say this every chapter, but really I can't thank the reviewers enough for taking the time to leave feedback. I really enjoy reading reviews and responding! See you all in a week for the next chapter!**

 **ktoll9-** The end does justify the means to get there, but it's still going to be a while until we get to the end! At least Ren won't have to suffer anymore in the Sky Palace! Thanks for reviewing!

 **Erza-** Actually, we're not at the end quite yet! Considering the events of this chapter, it wouldn't be proper to end it here just yet! I don't have an exact number of remaining chapters, but I estimate it to be around 10-15? We'll have to see! If you want to see the original, I would definitely recommend it since the drama inspired me to write this story in the first place, but I warn you that it's pretty long! There's about 10 or so episodes in the beginning of the original that I completely skipped over in this fic because I felt it would drag on too long, and the dynamics are a bit different in the original. But if you have time, I would definitely recommend watching the original! And I totally understand not having time to review when life gets in the way :(. But thanks for taking time to review this chapter!

 **Crazy4Animation-** Since Kuon wants to forget he ever met Kyoko, he won't know that he should avoid her if he marries her as Kuon and won't think that Kyoko betrayed him. Unfortunately, Sho won't get any retribution for his evil acts for a while, but he'll be dealt with eventually. Ren sacrificed his own love because he believed that Kyoko loved another while Kyoko sacrificed her future because of her love for Ren, and these sacrifices will not be in vain. They'll end up with their happily ever after eventually :). Thank you for reviewing!

 **ivy-** Kuon's eyes were partly healed by Lory, but he still lost his original eyesight to Sho :(. This chapter was probably also sad to read because of what happened to Ren, but luckily Ren won't be suffering in the Sky Palace anymore. Thank you for your review!

 **Paulagato-** Kuon kinda recovered his eyesight this chapter, but he still believes that Kyoko doesn't love him. At least he's immortal again and will no longer suffer in the Sky Palace or from his memories now that he's going to try to forget them. Thanks for reviewing!


	21. Chapter 21

**43 days later, there's finally an update to this story! I'm really sorry about leaving this fic alone for so long, especially after saying last chapter that it would only take a week for an update.**

 **The truth is, I lost a bit of motivation for writing this story. I had read lots of really good fanfic in this community, and I began doubting my own work. I began to believe that it wasn't that well-written and that my writing style was repetitive and flat. I wanted to make sure chapters were edited to be perfect, and I rewrote and rewrote. It was after coming up short again and again of my expectations for this chapter that I decided to take a break from writing for a while since it had become more of a dreaded job to me over time. When I first started this account, I had wanted to have fun while writing stories and share my crazy ideas with others, but I had made a huge backlog of chapters for this story and would post them as I proofread and edited them. After a while, I just became tired of constantly editing and felt like I had lost the meaning towards why I had started this story in the first place, so I went on hiatus until I would be able to come back and write this story with a smile on my face.**

 **Again, I'm really sorry for leaving this story for so long, but I'm back now to hopefully see it through to the end! I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

"Mo, could you please open your eyes and take a look at your daughter? She just lost her father. If she loses her mother as well, how pitiful would that be? Please open your eyes, Kyoko," Kanae begged as she put a sleeping Hana next to Kyoko's side. Kyoko still remained asleep, causing Kanae to sigh. It had been one day since Kyoko had jumped after Ren, and she hadn't shown the slightest sign of waking up. The rumors circulating around the palace were that Kyoko had jumped off Korosu Terrace to escape her trapped and oppressive life as the Crown Princess, but no one even thought of the possibility that she had jumped off to save her love. Immortals were not ready to believe their Crown Princess being in love with a mortal.

"She was subjected to strikes from lightning bolts for three days as punishment and endured 36 sacred blazes and 9 holy lightning bolts for the Crown Princess's seal. She was clearly trying to take her own life when she jumped off Korosu Terrace alongside that man," Saena speculated as she sat at a table, watching Kanae's fruitless attempt to wake Kyoko up.

"If I had allowed her to marry that mortal, then at most there would just be one more side consort at the palace, and she wouldn't have lost her will to live. She took this step because I forced her to. I thought that after the mortal had died, she would only be in low spirits for a few days but would recover and resume her duties as Crown Princess again. I never expected her to place such great importance on that man," Saena looked down, guilty in her realization that she had been the cause for her daughter's condition.

"Please! I have a solution, Your Highness!" Sho burst into the room after running past the guards. Saena looked at him hopefully as the guards restrained him, waving her hand for the guards to stop and let him go. Kanae narrowed her eyes at the annoyance that had just burst into the room.

"The Star Tribe had a sacred object that could gather together the parts of an immortal's spirit. When my entire clan was massacred, they were buried in the Sky Kingdom's 'Island of Innocence' where the Sky Kingdom preserves the bodies of immortals whose spirits have left their bodies. I put the object away with my real mother with the items buried with the dead. It must still be in my mother's crystal coffin! I'm sure the dead would understand being disturbed to save the Crown Princess!" Sho exclaimed. Saena motioned over two guards and looked at Sho optimistically.

"If it exists, then I'll send my best guards with you to retrieve the object from your mother. Being disturbed by her own son is better than by a stranger," Saena agreed as Sho bowed to her, hurrying off to the Island of Innocence to retrieve the very special object that could save Kyoko.

…

When Sho returned with the object in hand, he bowed to Saena while hiding the embarrassing-looking object behind his back. He quickly shoved the object in front of him, bowing his head to hide his embarrassed expression at holding such a thing.

"I have retrieved my kingdom's Soul-gathering Sheep Pillow for Your Majesty. I hope Your Majesty will remember everything I've done in the past and what you once promised me," Sho said with his head bowed. Kanae luckily managed to stifle her laugh at seeing the ridiculous-looking magical artifact, only outwardly clearing her throat with a blank expression.

"You still wish to marry my daughter? Why are you so stuck on her?"

"Please grant me my wish, Your Highness!" Sho bowed again, placing the pillow in front of him. Kanae glared at him, confident that Saena would deny his request, but she resumed a pleasant expression when Saena turned around after feeling a dark aura.

"Alright. I promise you. You brought the pillow today, and I will definitely have you married to Kyoko if this helps her wake up," Saena declared. Kanae couldn't help how her jaw dropped at Saena's declaration. Didn't she know her daughter at all to know that she hated Sho?!

"Thank you, Empress Mogami! If we put the Soul-gathering Sheep Pillow next to her bedside for three days, then her soul will heal. Someone must look after her until she wakes up. I can-" Sho said before he was interrupted.

"I will watch over her. She's my best friend," Kanae declared resolutely in a tone that hindered further discussion.

…

"Are you sure about this, Kuon?" Lory asked again. Kuon sat at a table, his eyes glazed over as he stared at the empty tea cup on the table.

Lory still couldn't believe that the sweet girl he had met at the Sky Palace didn't care for Ren at all. Lory was usually a good judge of character, but it seemed that his judgment had been wrong about her. She had seemed so genuine in her concern for Ren, but maybe it had all been an act. Royalty were usually pretty good at putting up fake personas for the public, an example being Kuon who never showed the inner turmoil and trauma he had accumulated after Rick's death.

"I need to forget her," Kuon muttered, shaking his head furiously as the memories of Kyoko bombarded his head once again.

Lory wanted to protect his godson, and he would do anything to help Kuon heal from his broken heart. This was even more worse than when Rick had been killed. If forgetting was the only way for Kuon to heal, then Lory would have to comply with his request. As for his marriage arrangement, Lory would just have to try to cancel it when he could.

"If you're really certain about your decision, then take it when you're ready," Lory said as he procured a small glass vial of amber liquid, pouring it completely into the empty tea cup in front of Kuon and teleporting away, not able to bear watching what would happen. As Lory left Kuon to himself, Kuon's eyes finally focused on the tea cup.

Kuon closed his eyes after looking at what had been placed in front of him, another scene from his mortal life replaying in his mind. He couldn't help the quickening of his heartbeat at the memory, but his physical response only further cemented his resolve to forget Kyoko. If he let his emotions overtake his common sense, then he might do something crazy like try to win her affections again when she already had someone else in her heart. Even still, he couldn't stop the memory from assaulting him.

…

 _"I'm home," Ren called out as he entered the hut he had been sharing with Kyoko. He had been out hunting that day, and he was glad that he had finally returned home._

 _"Welcome back!" Kyoko replied, running up to give him a kiss on the cheek which he reciprocated. They had been married for a month already, and Ren had never been happier in his life._

 _"Now that you're back, we can eat dinner!" Kyoko exclaimed, turning around to grab the pots off the stove. She placed them on the already-set dinner table and ushered Ren to sit down. Once everything was on the table, Kyoko and Ren said thanks for the food and started to eat the delicious meal that Kyoko had cooked up._

 _"So what did you eat for lunch? You were already gone by the time I woke up, so I wasn't able to make you a lunch that you could take with you," Kyoko asked as they started eating._

 _"I wasn't hungry," Ren replied, chuckling when Kyoko glared at him. He was already very used to her caring over his meals, and he knew that this would be her reaction when she heard he hadn't eaten._

 _"How many times have I told you that you have to eat three meals every day, Ren! Next time you do this, I'll-"_

 _"You'll do what? You'll keep me at home to make sure I'm eating?" Ren smirked as he interrupted her._

 _"Yes! I'll make you stay here all day as punishment!"_

 _"I wouldn't call that a punishment."_

 _"What?!"_

 _"If I could, I would spend every moment of my life with you, Kyoko," Ren said, causing Kyoko to blush. He rose up from his seat to go to her side, suddenly kissing her passionately._

 _"I'll try to eat three meals a day from now on. I'm sorry I skipped lunch today," Ren said as he pulled back from the kiss._

 _"Next time, just wake me up so I can prepare something for you, Ren."_

 _"I don't want to wake you up for something as small as that," Ren replied._

 _"I don't mind. I would much rather be certain that my husband is eating," Kyoko responded, grabbing Ren's shirt to kiss him again._

 _"I love you, Kyoko," Ren smiled as they pulled back from the kiss._

 _"I love you too, Ren," Kyoko smiled back._

 _…_

Kuon sat by himself in the dark room, staring into the dark liquid that had been poured by Lory into the cup for him. He didn't think that he and Kyoko would end up like this, and it was a pity that it became an ill-fated relationship. She clearly had loved Sho the whole time and had only been with Ren out of pity. Every time she had said she had loved him, it hadn't been true. No matter how much he tried to get her to love him unconditionally, it would never work as long as she was still smitten with Sho. As memories of Kyoko bombarded his head again, Kuon picked up the cup and downed it in one gulp. He made his way to the bed in the corner of the room and lied down, hoping that when he woke up he would forget all about Kyoko. He wanted to forget he ever loved her.

…

 _Kyoko ran through the moonlit forest, desperately trying to find Ren. For some reason, she wasn't able to use her magic to propel herself forward. She was literally powerless, but she was determined to find Ren, wherever he could be. Finally, Kyoko came to the edge of the forest where she breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Ren overlooking the canyon beyond. As she approached however, she worried that he was dangerously close to the edge. As Ren turned around to face her, Kyoko held out her hand._

 _"Ren, take my hand. You're close to falling off," Kyoko said encouragingly._

 _"Kyoko, I have to," Ren replied with sad eyes. With those words, Kyoko knew in her heart that something was wrong. She was afraid he was about to leave her._

 _"Please don't leave, Ren," Kyoko begged. Ren smiled sadly at her._

 _"From now on, Ren will no longer exist. When I wake up from this dream, I'll forget everything about it," Ren said before taking a step backwards into the abyss of the cliff. Kyoko desperately tried to run forward and save him as he jumped, but an invisible barrier on the edge of the cliff prevented her from following him. She could only watch helplessly as Ren fell backwards into the foggy depths below. A piercing scream sounded through the forest as Kyoko started to sob._

 _..._

Kyoko slowly opened her eyes after her nightmare, her eyes brimming with tears. As she awoke further, she remembered what had happened the last time she was conscious, and the tears from the dream freely fell down her face.

The Soul-gathering Sheep Pillow had been by her side for three days, and Kanae at Kyoko's bedside widened her eyes as she saw her best friend wake up.

"She's awake!" Kanae called out as a group of people immediately ran into the room.

"Kyoko!" Saena exclaimed. She helped Kyoko sit up, but Kyoko only looked emotionlessly at her mother as tears cascaded down her face.

"Kyoko?" Kanae wondered. She didn't respond.

"Kyoko! After you jumped off the Korosu Terrace, we've all been worried sick! At least respond when we try talking to you!" Sho exclaimed.

"Empress Mogami, maybe I can get through to her? I'm her best friend, so I know how to get her to talk," Kanae suggested. Saena looked at her non responsive daughter again before she nodded and let Kanae take her place at Kyoko's bedside.

"Could I speak with her alone?" Kanae asked the company in the room consisting of Chiori, Saena, Sho, and Fuwa Yayoi.

"Why should we leave?! I wanted to talk to her too!" Sho asked irritatedly.

"Shotaro, we're doing this for Kyoko-chan's sake. Kotonami-san was the closest to Kyoko-chan, so she has the best chance at getting her to speak," Yayoi told him. Sho paled at the use of his embarrassing given name in front of everyone and resigned to leaving with the rest of the company.

Kanae looked behind her after they were gone and cast a barrier spell on the room so that no one could listen in. When she was sure the barrier was up, she pulled a tiny vial out of her robes.

"I got an amnesia potion from the palace medic. Do you want to drink it? It'll let you forget Ren after you drink it, and you'll be back to who you were before," Kanae said, holding out the vial for Kyoko to take. Kyoko slowly reached out her hand for the bottle, seemingly about to take it, but pushed the bottle back to Kanae.

"I don't want to forget him," Kyoko replied, her tears flowing freely now. Kanae didn't think before she pulled Kyoko into a hug as Kyoko started to weep, letting her cry on her shoulder for the loss of her husband.

…

"Oh, how could this have happened?" Julie cried as she sat next to Kuon who had fallen asleep after drinking the memory potion. Lory had just explained to the two distraught parents what he knew about Kuon's struggles as a mortal, and they couldn't believe how much grief he had went through. Julie stroked her son's blonde hair, saddened that they had finally found him but in a state like this.

"He values his relationships. High God Rick was only his master for 20,000 years, but look at the significance Kuon held for him," Lory said.

"For Kuon's godly ascension to high god, he had to go through so much heartbreak again. Why does this have to happen to my son? He doesn't deserve any of this! And how could you give him that memory potion before telling us you found him? Ever since Julie stopped talking to me for hundreds of years after you took Kuon to High God Rick without a goodbye, I thought we promised that we would talk through matters together before making decisions about Kuon's future!" Kuu wondered.

"When he asked me for the amnesia potion, he was deeply hurt. I think it'll be fine if he wakes up and forgets everything. We just have to pretend nothing happened. I healed his sight, but his eyes won't be able to withstand intense brightness. Other than that, it should be easy to hide what happened from him since he'll forget all of it," Lory smiled sadly.

"Why do we have to hide his heavenly trial from him? What if he just needed a few days to think over what happened? He might have been able to heal by himself, but you decided to give him an amnesia potion before even asking for his _parents'_ opinions!" Julie glared at Lory.

"Julie, you know Kuon. So many years ago when Rick died, he also asked me for the potion but decided not to take it in the end. He said he could handle the grief and wanted to remember the experience for Rick. But this time, if he would have been able to handle the grief like that, then why would he take the potion? The struggles he endured were just too painful for him to bear this time. If he wants to forget, then let him forget. We'll just tell him that he was injured when enforcing the seal on King Reino's prison and fell into a deep sleep. As for his eyes, we'll say that he also received that injury from the experience," Lory explained.

"We'll also give him this cloth to cover his eyes when he needs to block intense lights," Lory said, producing a special white silk out of thin air. The three all nodded, Julie most reluctantly, and waited at Kuon's bedside for the rest of the day.

When it hit midday, Kuon finally opened his eyes, squinting from the light coming in from the window. Why was it so bright in here?

"You've been sleeping well," Lory remarked. Kuu and Julie stayed silent, letting Lory paint the false story of Kuon's memory loss first.

"Boss? Why is it so bright in here, and why is my vision blurry?"

"Don't worry. It'll be clearer after a while, but you can't look at anything too bright. After you sealed away King Reino, your eyes were injured, but I was able to heal them. An after effect of it though is that you can't withstand bright lights," Lory explained.

"I've gotten this special white silk for you that will be able to block out intense rays of light. When you go to really bright places, it will naturally come out but won't block your vision, only shading your eyes from the light," Lory said, putting the magical silk over Kuon's eyes. The silk immediately vanished, and it would come out again when Kuon needed protection from bright lights.

"So how long have I been sleeping?" Kuon wondered.

"Thousands of years, honey," Julie piped up, trying to feed into the lie that Lory had fabricated for Kuon.

"But look at your spirit, High God," Kuu said, trying his best to smile and not remember the circumstances behind how Kuon had ascended.

"High God?" Kuon wondered, casting a spell to look at his spirit and seeing it glowing a brilliant golden hue. For some reason, his first thought was that it was the same shade as that one golden lotus he had spent time with in Rick's training grounds.

"I ascended to High God? How did I pass my heavenly trial? Did I ascend in my dreams?" Kuon wondered.

"You're very lucky, Kuon," Lory replied.

"Wait, if I've been sleeping for thousands of years, who was taking care of the kingdom?" Kuon exclaimed, getting out of bed. He rushed out of the room, teleporting himself to the Fairy Kingdom before anyone could stop him.

After Kuon had teleported away, the three remaining immortals in the room shared a look. He seemed to have completely forgotten his trial and was back to his normal self, so it seemed as if the amnesia potion had worked. Kuon had accepted the fake story they had made up. They just hoped they hadn't forgotten to tell him any crucial details…

After Kuon teleported himself to the royal palace of the Fairy Kingdom, he found Yashiro busy at work at a desk cluttered with scrolls.

"Kuon!" Yashiro exclaimed, happy to see that he was alive.

"Yashiro-san? Why is the desk so cluttered? You're usually the type of person who makes sure everything is organized," Kuon asked.

"I've had to act in your place for official matters, and I was worried that you would never come back! Things here haven't been too busy since you were gone, but just today I became swamped with work! It's good that you're back though!" Yashiro exclaimed. Kuon smiled at him. Leave it to Yashiro to handle everything for Kuon while he was gone!

"What's happened since I've been gone?" Kuon asked.

"There wasn't too much, just the regular checkups on our people and passing petitions for new crops to farm and new buildings that our people wanted to build. You were invited to an assembly at the Sky Palace, but I declined the invitation as per usual. And I think the only other matter that happened was that the Sky Palace officially announced your engagement to the Crown Princess," Yashiro replied, listing things off with his fingers.

"What?! I thought my parents arranged for my engagement with Kotonami Kanae?" Kuon's eyes widened.

"Oh, right! You went missing right before they changed the agreement! Your father and Takarada-san arranged this marriage personally for you. They broke off your engagement with Kotonami Kanae so that you would be able to marry the Crown Princess instead."

"I have no intention of moving to the Sky Palace to become Crown Prince. I'll go there right now to break off the engagement," Kuon said, turning towards the door.

"Wait, Kuon! This marriage is more important than your previous arrangement! Back then it was just a promise between kingdoms, but now you're actually engaged to the Crown Princess, and it was announced by the Heavenly Empress to the whole world just a few years ago! If you really break it off, it'll make both the Sky Kingdom and the Fairy Kingdom look bad," Yashiro warned.

"Fine then. Forget it. We can fix this later after we discuss it," Kuon sighed, turning back to call a council meeting so that he could hear about everything he missed while he was gone. Yashiro wanted to ask the reason behind Kuon's disappearance, but he knew it would have to wait until later after Kuon had finished his duties. He was serious about his work and wouldn't let himself be distracted until it was finished.

* * *

 **I really want to thank every person who has showed support for this story, even though I took such a long time in posting this chapter. The next update at least will be pretty soon since I'm pretty much finished editing next chapter, but I'm not sure about an update schedule for after that. My schedule is hectic this year, so updates will be a bit sporadic.**

 **Ivy401-** Thank you for always supporting each chapter, and I'm glad you now have an account! Unfortunately, Kuon won't be ripping his eyes from Sho since he took the amnesia potion, and Lory was convinced that Kyoko was just acting her love for Ren the whole time.

 **Erza-** After reading your comment, I reread last chapter and edited it so that Kyoko did teleport to the base of Korosu Terrace but couldn't teleport up the stairs since the inauspicious aura of the terrace was blocking her magic. Kuon wasn't stopped at the last second from drinking the amnesia potion to forget Kyoko, and he also couldn't bear to rip his eyes off of Sho's face for Kyoko's sake. But no worries, Sho will get what's coming to him eventually. Thanks for leaving a review!

 **paulagato-** Lory tried to convince Kuon not to forget, but his grief was just so much that he needed to forget. He believed that his daughter would grow up better off without him, so he purposely distanced himself. Thanks for always reviewing each chapter!

 **kykokuoncanon-** Lory believed that Kyoko was only acting the part of loving Ren, and he didn't hear at that point that Kyoko had jumped off Korosu Terrace after Ren, so he decided it was best to give Kuon his wish and let him forget Kyoko. Thanks for leaving a review!

 **melchormonica8-** Sorry for such a long wait for an update, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm glad you're liking the story, and thanks for reviewing!


	22. Chapter 22

**This is a Kyoko-centric chapter, so for those of you who wanted to see Kuon, I'm sorry but you'll have to wait until next chapter! In this chapter, Kyoko deals with her grief and fixes her Sho problem. Next chapter will contain a small time jump after the events of this chapter, but I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

"Don't cry. I know you're crying since the person who caused your father to lose his eyes and his life is marrying your mother tonight. If your father hadn't jumped, he would be here tonight, and not this wretched dirt of the Heavens. But please be good until your mother comes back," Chiori soothed Hana as she rocked her gently in her arms.

Kyoko had finally gotten out of bed, putting on a fake visage to get her through the days as she read a multitude of scrolls in the palace library. Except for the day she initially woke up, Kyoko had seemed perfectly fine afterwards, but Kanae could tell otherwise. She knew that Kyoko was only putting on a front to hide her turbulent emotions. She hadn't been sleeping much, which was reflected by her bloodshot eyes and the black circles under her eyes. Kyoko's natural black tresses had lost their radiant shine as well, appearing dull and unkept now.

"Thank you for taking care of Hana for me, Amamiya-san. I'm going to head to the library today, so could you give Hana to Fuwa Yayoi-san after she falls asleep?" Kyoko asked.

"Of course, Kyoko-san. I hope you find what you're looking for in the library today," Chirori said. Kyoko nodded and teleported herself to the palace library, but Kanae teleported after her, determined to get her to talk.

"Mo, why are you studying so much? You just woke up not long ago, and now you immediately immerse yourself in the palace library! You might put on a smile in public, but mo, you don't have to! You're allowed to grieve after what happened!" Kanae exclaimed.

"What are you talking about, Moko-san?" Kyoko smiled brightly.

"Mo, you know what I'm saying is true. If you don't want to tell me why you keep coming to the palace library everyday, then I guess we aren't best friends," Kanae frowned. She turned on her heel, raising her hand to teleport away until she heard a yell.

"Wait, Moko-san! We _are_ best friends!" Kyoko wailed.

"If we are, then will you tell me what's been going on with you lately? Instead of spending time with your daughter who also just lost her father, you lock yourself in the library all day doing who knows what!" Kanae asked, turning back to Kyoko.

"I want to know methods on bringing people back to life," Kyoko replied softly, looking down in guilt as she realized how little time she had actually spent with her daughter after she woke up.

"You want to bring Ren back to life?" Kanae repeated slowly, knowing that it was next to impossible. Kyoko nodded before rolling the scroll back up that she had been reading and getting up.

"I'm going to look around here longer to find more information. I might just stay here for the rest of the day, so don't wait for me Moko-san. Once I find what I'm looking for, I'll come to take care of Hana."

"Now? Did you forget that you're marrying Fuwa-san today?" Kanae asked.

"Oh, really? I forgot," Kyoko replied monotonously, teleporting immediately to another section of the library before Kanae could retort.

…

"You're looking very handsome today, Sho," Shoko commented, helping him finish styling his hair for the upcoming wedding. Sho smirked as he looked himself up and down in a mirror to see the extravagant purple wedding robe that he would wear to marry Kyoko.

"I just can't believe that she doesn't want to go through a grand ceremony with you. She just wants us to sit in a carriage and go. Shouldn't the Crown Princess be more welcoming to her newest consort?" Shoko wondered.

"What's important is that starting today I'll be her side consort. I always knew I would marry her, and now it's finally coming true. Who cares about what it takes to get there?" Sho said, smirking at his reflection again. Finally, everything was going how he had always wanted it to. And to think all it took was the death of that useless mortal.

...

"Kyoko, Sho's carriage is almost in front of your palace. Are you not going to change before he comes?" Kanae asked, peeking her head around a bookshelf where Kyoko was carrying a stack of books in her arms, about to tumble over. Kanae rushed forward to catch two books that fell off the stack. Kyoko muttered a quiet thank you as Kanae helped her set the rest of the books on a desk.

"It doesn't matter what I wear. I don't need to get ready. I'll just teleport over once he arrives. Could you tell the servants to get rid of the colorful decorations in my palace before I get back though? They're sickening to keep looking at all the time," Kyoko complained. Kanae nodded, and left to order the servants to take down the wedding decorations that had initially been meant for Kyoko's marriage to Ren but had now been repurposed for her marriage to Sho.

…

After Sho's carriage reached the entrance of Kyoko's palace, he stepped out to see her standing just outside the gate with her back to him. He couldn't help a scowl at her disheveled and informal attire that she didn't even bother to tidy up, but he schooled his expression into a grin when he reminded himself that he was finally achieving his dream. Sho approached her and bowed.

"My wife. The love of my life," Sho smirked. Kyoko then turned around, her teeth grinding together in fury, tears of anger almost spilling out of her eyes. Suddenly, she procured a sword and thrust it straight into his heart. He looked at her in shock before she pulled the sword out, blood now pouring from his wound. He fell to the ground clutching his chest in pain. The wound wouldn't kill him since the sword was from the mortal realm and had no power in killing immortals, but he still felt all of the pain from being stabbed in the chest.

Shoko gasped at Kyoko's action and ran out of the carriage after Sho, but with a wave of her hand, Kyoko had her own guards restrain Shoko.

"What the hell, Kyoko?!" Sho yelled at her before she started to laugh wickedly at him, and her anger increased tenfold.

"You say that you love me, but what makes you think I love you back after what you did?!" Kyoko yelled at Sho.

"What the hell did I ever do to make you so upset? We used to be best friends then one day you suddenly started to get mad at me for no reason and ignored me!" Sho yelled back.

"That's the day when I realized I had always sacrificed myself for you, but you never did the same. You only ever did things for yourself. You know, I always tried to make you feel better when you were down, but you didn't even try to help me when I cried because of Mother. I remember that day when I overheard your true intentions. You had convinced me to give into my mother's demands to begin studying war tactics, and I wanted to visit you when she finally gave me a break to talk about how bad of an idea it had been, but when I found you, you were bragging about having the Crown Princess wrapped around your finger to your maid. I remember you saying that you could get anything you wanted since you did Mother's bidding and that she had given you a guitar in return that day. After I heard that, I ran away in tears at the realization that you had tricked me all along. Tell me, Shotaro, why shouldn't I hate you?" Kyoko laughed sarcastically.

"Because you've always loved me! I know it!" Sho argued.

"I don't love you, Shotaro! I don't want to marry you!" Kyoko screamed back in anger.

"You said that you wanted me to force you to marry me, and that's what I'm doing now. You have no say in this anymore!"

"You made me lose the person who was everything to me. I had finally found real happiness and love in this world where I never believed that I would be able to, but you ruined everything! You tricked Ren into jumping off the Korosu Terrace, you bastard! You might have everyone else in the palace fooled, but I know the truth! I know how you truly are! I hate you, Shotaro! I'll get my revenge! I'll never call you my husband!" Kyoko yelled at him as her newfound demons were born. Sho opened his mouth to respond but felt an invisible presence choking him. He watched helplessly as Kyoko turned to waltz back into her palace, waving one hand which signaled the guards the close the gate in his face. When she was out of sight, Sho finally regained his breath, and Shoko was released by the guards to use magic to heal Sho's wound.

…

"Whether you acknowledge him or not, it is still an imperial decree. Sho is now your husband legally," Saena told Kyoko who nodded in response. She might have legally married him, but that didn't mean she had to acknowledge him as her husband. He would never get that privilege.

"I understand. I'll send a messenger to tell him and his servants that he can stay where he's living now to make the transition easier. There's no need for him to move into my palace," Kyoko replied, though in reality, she just wanted to make sure she had as little chance of running into him as possible.

"That's fine," Saena said as Kyoko bowed to her mother before heading off back to the library to resume her search for a way to bring Ren back to life.

…

After hours of reading various sources, Kyoko's eyes widened as she saw an article on the Soul-gathering Sheep Pillow of the Star Kingdom and how it could bring mortal souls back to life. This was her solution!

The article said that the Soul-gathering Sheep Pillow could not only bring together an immortal's soul, but it could also create a mortal body. If a person could take things that once had a mortal's breath in them and place them on the pillow so that the pillow could identify the mortal's breath, it would slowly absorb what was left of the mortal's breath within a thousand mile circumference. When the mortal's breath was fully absorbed, it would create a copy of the mortal who had died.

Kyoko immediately teleported back to her room to see the Soul-gathering Sheep Pillow next to her bedside. She grabbed it and teleported over to the Hall of Radiance, pausing when she saw the garden Ren had tended to out of the corner of her eye. Venturing closer, she saw the beautiful rose bush that Ren had been taking care of and couldn't help the tears that came to her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. Careful to not hurt herself on any of the thorns, Kyoko picked the most beautiful rose from the bush and went inside the vacant hall.

Laying the Soul-gathering Sheep pillow on Ren's bed, she set down the freshly-picked rose on the pillow and waited with baited breath as a green cloud of magic surrounded the rose. After a few seconds, the cloud disappeared. Kyoko craned her neck around and rushed outside to see if Ren had appeared somewhere, but he was nowhere to be found. She reluctantly walked towards the exit of the Hall of Radiance to head back to the library to find another idea before seeing a gust of wind carrying rose petals towards her. She gasped as she looked up and saw ten wrens flying in circles in the air around the Hall of Radiance.

This had to be a sign! Maybe she just needed to keep trying! Ren would definitely come back one day if she kept her hopes up.

Gazing over to the garden that Ren had started, Kyoko couldn't help but think that it was still pretty empty. She would have to plant more rose bushes for his sake. She knew that Ren would be delighted to see a garden full of roses when he came back.

…

After planting some rose bushes and realizing that she would have to wait longer for Ren to return, Kyoko finally remembered how little she had cared for her newborn daughter through her grief. Ren wasn't there to take care of her anymore, so Kyoko would have to act as a single mother for her daughter. She

Kyoko snuck into Fuwa Yayoi's quarters to see Hana sleeping soundly in a cradle. She smiled at how peaceful and cute her daughter looked. Hana's eyes slowly opened to see her mother, and a wide grin spread across her chubby cheeks. Gently, Kyoko took her daughter into her arms, wrapped a blanket around her, and teleported to the mortal realm, carrying Hana to the hut where Kyoko and Ren had first met. When she walked inside, she couldn't help but shed a few tears upon seeing the new addition to the house that Ren had finished. The new nursery was fit for a princess, and Kyoko was amazed at the handiwork that Ren had put into the room. The cradle in the center of the nursery had pastel pink blankets over a plush bed with a cute mobile of various kinds of birds above it. Kyoko set Hana down inside the cradle so that she could look around the hut more. Kyoko walked towards a row of drawers that Ren had built and found it stocked with new clothes and necessities for raising Hana, and she started crying even more. This was where they were supposed to have raised Hana together. Alhough Ren had left her physically, Kyoko wanted his influence to live on.

Kyoko knew then that she wanted to raise Hana in this hut as much as possible, because that's what she had planned to do with Ren. She wanted Hana to know that even though her father had left, he still had loved her as evidenced by the astounding amount of work he had put into the preparations for her arrival. Kyoko wanted to raise Hana in the nursery that Ren had built so that at least she would have some part of her father with her even though he wasn't physically there anymore.

* * *

 **Can I just say how satisfying is was to write that one scene where Kyoko stabs Sho and declares revenge? Not saying that she wasn't badass in canon during that scene, but instead of being helpless because of Sho's security, here she was able to scoff at him, hold Shoko back with her guards, and slice through his heart! Ahhh the satisfaction!**

 **And to all of those who reviewed last chapter, THANK YOU SO MUCH! I didn't expect such an overwhelming response after going on such a long hiatus, but I was so happy to see support!**

 **Erza Tsuruga-** It's a struggle to not make characters OOC, especially in this story where I have to advance the plot and make some compromises with characterization. Personally, I feel as if Kanae is the most OOC character in this story, and that's probably because I'm having her act in the place of 2 characters yikes. But I'm glad at least Kyoko and Kuu last chapter weren't OOC! Sorry for leaving such a horrible cliffhanger before going on hiatus, but I didn't expect to go on hiatus at the time! This chapter didn't end on a cliffhanger though, so I hope you can rest easy! Thanks for leaving me a review and thinking of asking if I was dead after I left for so long XD!

 **Paulagato-** Kuon's forgotten completely about Kyoko, so unfortunately he's forgotten that he ever fell in love with her. Not to mention, he's missed a lot while he was cursed and needs to make sure his kingdom is running smoothly before tackling any other problems! Thanks for reviewing as always, paulagato!

 **ktoll9-** To hear such praise from such an amazing author like yourself makes me so glad! I hope Sho's punishment in this chapter was satisfying, but we still have more to go! He'll get exactly what's coming to him eventually! Thank you for reviewing!

 **Ivy401** \- Unfortunately there was no KyokoxKuon this chapter, but it'll be here soon! Legally, Kyoko is now married to Sho, but she doesn't acknowledge it. We'll just have to see how Kuon reacts if he meets Kyoko and Hana... Thanks for leaving a review!

 **H-Nala-** Thanks for the welcome back! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	23. Chapter 23

**I guess you can say that this is the start of a new section of this fic, what I like to refer to as part 3. When I started writing this story, this part was actually the part that I had the most ideas for and was the most excited to write. I'm excited to share the remainder of this fic with you all! In this chapter, after a 300 year time jump, we get to see Kyoko starting to heal from Ren's death and meet some new characters that have grown up over the past 300 years...**

* * *

Before Kyoko knew it, 300 years had passed since Ren had jumped off Korosu Terrace. She had made raising their daughter her first priority since Ren wasn't there to be her father anymore. Every day still hurt without Ren there beside her, but she knew she had to be strong for her daughter.

After Ren had left her, Kyoko had cut her hair short and colored it to the auburn that she had donned when she had first met Ren. It was a way for her to still keep a piece of him with her and to remind herself that she needed to stay strong to raise their daughter in his stead. Besides, the auburn made her feel more like who she wanted to be instead of who everyone expected her to be. After meeting Ren, Kyoko had realized how free it felt to not only be seen as just the Crown Princess of the Heavens. Around Ren, Kyoko didn't need to keep up superficial appearances or subdue her personality, and he would still love her for who she was. Ren made Kyoko feel like she could be herself, and she was done with only following her mother's will and displaying herself as a perfect royal.

Suddenly, a little girl with two dark brown pigtails and emerald eyes ran up and enveloped Kyoko in a hug, startling her out of her thoughts. "I caught you, Mother!" Hana giggled. Kyoko grinned and tickled her daughter's sides, picking her laughing form up to go inside the hut where she had tried to raise Hana as much as possible. For the past 300 years, she had brought Hana to live in the mortal world every year for at least a few months as she grew up, and Hana had always enjoyed visiting the place where her mother and father fell in love.

As they went inside the hut, Hana immediately kicked off her shoes and bowed in front of a highly detailed and realistic sculpture that Kyoko had made of Ren. In her grief, Kyoko had taken to sculpting and sewing small dolls of her lost love, and there were many that existed in the Sky Palace as well as in their hut in the mortal realm. Kyoko also frequently visited the Hall of Radiance where the Soul-gathering Sheep Pillow was kept. She would make sure to place an object of Ren's on the pillow every month, hoping that one day the collected essence would be enough to bring him back. Every time she used the pillow, it seemed as if more and more rose petals and wrens would fly around the Hall of Radiance, so Kyoko was hopeful that the pillow was working.

Today was the start of Kyoko and Hana's weekend in their mortal realm hut, and Hana bowed in front of the sculpture of her father like she usually did every morning to greet him.

"We've come back to visit, Father! Mother and I are still waiting until you come back, but I really want to meet you soon! Mother said that tomorrow is the anniversary of when you two met, so we've come to celebrate!" Hana smiled. Kyoko hugged her from behind, proud of her daughter for keeping Ren alive within her even though she had no recollection of him.

"I'm sure your father is very happy that you always greet him each morning. Are you hungry for breakfast yet, Hana?" Kyoko asked. Hana nodded, so Kyoko went to prepare breakfast for the two of them in the kitchen. Even though at least two servants and two guards were required to come with her whenever she went to the mortal realm, Kyoko had always tried to cook meals for her daughter by herself, wanting to be as involved in her daughter's life as possible. Hana would usually eat copious amounts of food, which was quite the opposite to her father, but Kyoko still loved to cook her daughter's meals. It helped that Kyoko was a fantastic chef and could prepare tasty food quickly. Kyoko finished cooking a huge pot of miso soup and brought it to the table with a small bowl which she poured some soup into. Kyoko sat down with Hana and said thanks for the food, bringing the small bowl of soup in front of herself to eat while leaving the rest of the soup for Hana. She quickly cast a cooling spell towards Hana's pot so that her daughter wouldn't burn herself while drinking the soup.

"Mother, can you play with me if I finish this whole bowl of soup?" Hana looked at her with gigantic round eyes that Kyoko had almost never been able to say no to. She nodded, and her daughter enveloped her in a hug before taking the pot to her lips and chugging it until the pot was completely empty. Kyoko looked at her in shock before laughing and picked up her daughter, bringing her outside to play.

…

After spending some time playing with her mother, Hana had become tired. Kyoko picked her up, carrying her sleeping form back to the hut so that she could rest but stopped when a palace messenger suddenly ran up to her.

"Your Highness, someone broke into the Hall of Radiance," The messenger announced.

"Ehhh?! How did this happen?!" Kyoko looked at the messenger in shock.

"A young girl broke into the Hall of Radiance disguised as a piglet and stole the Soul-gathering Sheep Pillow."

Kyoko froze and immediately teleported herself to the Sky Palace with Hana still in her arms, hurrying to the Hall of Radiance. When she arrived, everything looked the same except for the vacant spot where the sheep pillow had been before on Ren's old bed.

Kyoko slumped to the floor and hugged Hana, shaking as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. She had placed an object of Ren's on the sheep pillow every month for 300 years in the hopes that Ren would come back, but now all of her efforts were ruined. The one method that Kyoko had been hoping would bring back her lost love was gone now. Maybe this was the world's way of telling her that it had been 300 years, and that she was supposed to move on already. If the sheep pillow really could recreate Ren, then it would have already. Maybe this was Ren's way of restricting her from creating a fake version of him. He wouldn't forgive her for what she did to him, and this was his way of telling her that. She would never get him back.

…

"Kuon-sama! Please don't go! I still need your help!" Maria begged as she tugged on Kuon's sleeve.

"Maria-chan, it wasn't right to steal the Soul-gathering Sheep Pillow from the Sky Palace," Kuon reprimanded her.

"I know, but this was the only way I read about that could bring Mother back! I have to try since I'm the one that caused this to happen to her! This is the only way Father will forgive me!" Maria cried out, tears forming in her eyes. Kuon sighed. He knew how desperately Maria wanted her mother to come back to life, but Kuon also knew it wasn't possible to bring back the dead. He had tried any methods he could find on bringing the dead back to life after Rick had died, but nothing had worked. Maria's mother had passed away in an accident when she was coming back from an assembly at the Sky Palace early after Maria had asked her to return earlier to celebrate her birthday together. She had been attacked and killed by a group of bandits that attacked her opulent carriage in search of money. Maria blamed herself for her mother's death since she had asked her mother to come home early to celebrate her birthday. If she had never asked her mother to come back early, her mother wouldn't have died. After the accident, Maria's father had kept himself busy at work as the king of a kingdom and visited her seldomly, overwhelmed by his grief from the loss.

"Maria-chan, I know you want to bring back your mother, but this is not the right way. If your grandfather finds out, what am I supposed to tell him? You have to apologize to the Sky Kingdom for your mistake."

"But Kuon-sama, can't I just try since I already stole it?" Maria asked, holding out the pillow for him to take. Kuon took it into his hands but suddenly felt a weird aura encircling him as he touched the pillow. An overwhelming wave of sadness and heartbreak encircled him, and Kuon suddenly dropped the pillow back into Maria's hands. He worried that a dead spirit that had been gathered around the pillow was trying to take control over his body.

"There's no point. I've heard of the pillow before. It was used to revive the Crown Princess once, but the pillow won't work here. To use it, there must be a part of the immortal's soul nearby, but your mother's spirit is already gone from this world. I'm afraid it wouldn't work even if we tried."

"We really can't give it a try?" Maria asked again.

"Return it. There's an inauspicious aura around it, and I don't want some random spirit trying to possess you, Maria," Kuon ordered.

…

With the Soul-gathering Sheep Pillow in hand, Maria went to her grandfather to ask for his help in returning it. Lory's eyes widened in surprise when he learned she was the one who had stolen the pillow. He had received a notice from the Sky Palace about the robbery, and to think his own granddaughter was the culprit!

"You've stirred up lots of trouble, Maria-chan."

"What do you mean? I only borrowed it for a few days," Maria pouted.

"Do you know why this Soul-gathering Sheep Pillow has been in the Hall of Radiance for 300 years? The Crown Princess was using the pillow to create the body of her late husband. The Crown Princess has been guarding the pillow for 300 years, and no one ever dared to go inside the Hall of Radiance where she kept it! How could you dare to steal it?" Lory asked.

"I'm sorry, Grandfather," Maria replied, guilty that she had stolen the pillow now.

"I'll try returning it for you, but you must never do something like this again. I can't always protect you after you do things like this."

"I won't do something like this again, Grandfather," Maria promised.

…

Lory took the pillow from his granddaughter and teleported himself to the Sky Palace, walking inside the Hall of Radiance. As he entered, he saw Kyoko slumped on the ground in sorrow from losing the pillow. Hana had returned to the mortal realm and was being taken care of by the servants there as Kyoko had wallowed in sorrow alone the past couple of days in the Hall of Radiance. Upon Lory's entrance, Kyoko didn't even look up until he placed the pillow in front of her. She slowly took the pillow into her hands, hoping that her progress was still there. She stood up and went to a drawer to pull out one of Ren's old robes, placing it on the pillow with hopeful eyes. As a cloud of green appeared around the pillow, Kyoko ran outside to look up and see if more wrens and rose petals were flying around outside. Her face fell however as a single rose petal whisked through the air to land softly at the ground in front of her. She sunk onto her knees, clutching the single rose petal in her hand as Lory looked at her sympathetically.

"Who was it?" Kyoko asked, her demons swirling around her.

"I'm terribly sorry, Crown Princess. My granddaughter, Maria, stole the pillow in an attempt to revive her mother who just recently passed after being killed by bandits. She didn't know you were using the pillow to bring back Ren. Please forgive her," Lory bowed. Kyoko's demons retreated as they saw the high god bow in earnest, and Kyoko realized that she had no reason to be mad. Deep in her heart, Kyoko had always known the pillow wouldn't work.

"I-I'll forgive her. I always hoped that one day Ren would come back, but I guess somewhere I always knew the pillow could only create a substitute. Maybe what happened is the world trying to tell me to move on. Do you know that I've always told Hana that her father would one day come back? For 300 years I've acted as her mother and father, but I'm not strong enough to shatter her hopes of her father coming back. What am I supposed to tell her?" Kyoko wondered, tears falling onto her cheeks.

Lory really wanted to tell her that her husband was still alive and was actually engaged to her to console her, but he couldn't. He had sworn to keep up his lie to Kuon after seeing how devastated he had been after his ordeal at the Sky Palace. Lory had to remind himself that Kyoko was only putting up an act and had gravely hurt his godson. But seeing how wounded Kyoko had been from his "death" almost made him believe that maybe Kuon had been wrong about her true nature...

Kyoko reached up her hand to wipe the tears on her face and made a decision. Now she knew Ren wouldn't be coming back, and she didn't deserve to love another person ever again. She would put however many locks it took to prevent herself from falling in love again because she didn't deserve to love after what she had caused to happen to Ren. The lone angel that had been born with Kyoko's first love cried out as Kyoko's demons forced her into Kyoko's box. With her angel locked inside, Kyoko's box over her heart was sealed permanently, never to be touched again.

* * *

 **Kyoko's been struggling the past few chapters with her grief, but she's starting to heal. She's beginning to accept the fact that she'll never see Ren again. We'll have to see what happens though when she meets Kuon...**

 **Thanks to all who reviewed last chapter!**

 **ktoll9-** Sho finally got what was coming to him, and I was more than happy to let Kyoko stab him through the heart for all he's done to her heart. Thank you for your support and for reviewing!

 **PaulaGaTo-** Kyoko's first priority after Ren's death has been to be a good mother to Hana. She hopes to raise Hana with her father's influence even though he's not there with them anymore. Thanks for reviewing!

 **Ivy401-** I'm glad you enjoyed Sho getting stabbed in the heart! He really did deserve it! I'm happy you like how the story is progressing, and thanks for the review!

 **Erza** **Tsuruga-** Since I knew it wasn't possible for Sho to get stabbed in canon, I was happy to use my own story to stab him in the heart for all that he's done. But you have an enticing idea as well to stab him in the face. If only Ren could have gotten some revenge and taken his eyes back in a similar way... Now as for the gust of wind, your prediction was pretty spot on. Ren's memories _are_ accumulated around the pillow, and Kuon might have gotten them back if he had held onto that pillow a bit longer. As always, thanks for reviewing!

 **H-Nala-** Kuon _does_ remember the golden lotus he talked to about his troubles in Goraku Mountain since those memories happened before he was cursed by Reino. However, he forgot meeting Kyoko the immortal in the mortal realm as Ren. I hope I answered your question.

 **0Apt3 and LvE8b-** Not sure if I'm reading your comments right, but thank you for enjoying my story. I would love to make sure I'm understanding your comments completely, so I hope next time you don't use numbers and abbreviations in your comments so that I can make sure I get the meaning of your comments completely!


	24. Chapter 24

**Last chapter, I was shocked to find 9 reviews! This is the most reviews I've ever gotten on a single chapter, so thank you all! As always, I'll respond to your comments in the author's note at the end of this chapter with more thanks and gratitude, but let's get into the story now!**

* * *

Hana had snuck out of the hut where she and Kyoko lived after seeing a bunny in the forest around the hut. Hana followed the bunny deeper and deeper into the forest until it hopped away too fast, and Hana lost it. When the bunny was nowhere to be seen, Hana looked around and realized she had no idea where she had ventured out to. She wouldn't be able to find her way back.

"Help! I'm lost! Can anyone help me get home?!" Hana yelled out. It was starting to get dark, and she was getting scared. She had heard that the woods were filled with evil creatures at night, and she was afraid that the creatures would try to hurt her.

"Is someone there?" Hana heard a male voice. She quickly ran to hide behind a tree, worried that the voice belonged to an evil being. Soon, a young man walked into the clearing, and Hana breathed a sigh of relief, coming out of her hiding spot.

"Are you okay? What's a little immortal like you doing out in the woods?" The man asked as he approached her with good intentions.

"I got lost after following a bunny into the woods," Hana replied as a cute blush of embarrassment appeared on her cheeks.

"Where is your house? Is it nearby?" The man wondered.

"It's at a hut nearby. Could you help me find it?" Hana asked.

"Of course. I'm Prince Hidehito Kijima of the East Sea. What's your name young immortal?"

"Hana," She replied as her mother had instructed her. Kyoko had told Hana that she should never give her family name or title to strangers in the case that they would use her royal lineage against her. Even though Kijima was a prince, Hana could not be sure of what he would do if she were to tell him she was the granddaughter of the Heavenly Empress

Kijima nodded with a smile and held out his hand for her to take. Hana looked at his smile for any untruthfulness, but she smiled back and took his hand when she found he was genuinely trying to help her. Kijima started to lead her through the forest, hoping that he could help her get home. Earlier when he had been looking for a location to practice some archery alone, he had felt the presence of other immortals when he passed by a celestial shield. Kijima led them in that direction, almost certain that the young girl's home was behind that shield.

…

"Please punish me, Your Highness! I lost the little princess right before you got back, so I deserve a punishment! I deserve death!" Kyoko's servant wailed.

"Please just keep looking," Kyoko responded urgently, worried that her daughter was in danger. The servant nodded, getting up to leave before Kyoko's other servant rushed into the room.

"Your Highness, she's back!" The servant exclaimed. Kyoko rushed out of the hut to see Hana running up to the her and immediately ran up to envelop her daughter in a hug.

"Where did you go? Why didn't you have a servant follow you?" Kyoko asked her daughter, relieved that she hadn't been hurt.

"I saw a bunny and went to talk with it, but I forgot to have a servant follow me before I got lost. Luckily, this immortal saved me," Hana smiled, motioning to Kijima who Kyoko had just noticed. He grinned at her, looking her figure up and down.

"Thank you for helping my daughter find her way back home," Kyoko bowed politely.

"It's no problem. And you are?" Kijima wondered who the beauty standing before him could be.

"I'm the Sky Kingdom's Crown Princess, Mogami Kyoko. You are?" Kyoko asked.

"Crown Princess? I'm the prince of the Water Kingdom's East Sea, Hidehito Kijima, Your Highness!" Kijima responded, amazed that he was finally meeting the Crown Princess who he had heard was the most beautiful woman in the Heavens.

"Ah, so you're Prince Kijima of the East Sea. You found Hana today, so I'm in debt to you. Is there any way that I could repay you?" Kyoko asked.

"It's a great fortune to have met you today since I've heard so many things about you. If I had a wish, I'd only wish to stay by your side, my beautiful," Kijima smirked.

"You wish to marry my mother?" Hana's mouth gaped.

"No, no. Don't misunderstand. I know I'm a mere prince of the East Sea and would never be allowed to marry the Crown Princess of the Heavens, but I only want to stay at this hut so that I can stay with you two when you come visit the hut. I can catch you food and cook meals for you," Kijima said.

"Prince Kijima, I think it would be highly inappropriate for someone of your status to do such tasks. I am the one who's supposed to fulfill a wish for you, and it's not right to make you serve us," Kyoko replied, not sure of his intentions behind his request.

"This is my wish. I only hope you can make it happen," Kijima responded with a bow.

"Mother?" Hana looked up with a frown, not wanting for Kyoko to agree to his wish. Even though Kijima had helped her find her way back home, Hana didn't want him to stay with them. It felt like he was trying to steal her mother away.

"I will agree to your wish, but I'll only allow it to be for a period of ten days. Once the ten days are over, you will leave," Kyoko said, much to the displeasure of Hana.

"Thank you, Crown Princess," Kijima bowed again, smirking at the beautiful goddess.

"Now since it's late, I'm going to put my daughter to sleep. The ten days will begin tomorrow morning," Kyoko said before taking Hana's hand and leading her inside to speak to her alone.

"Mother, I don't like that immortal! Please don't let him stay. He's clearly trying to take Father's position!" Hana whimpered.

"I promised I would fulfill his wish, Hana, and I cannot break my word. It's only for ten days," Kyoko assured her.

"Mother, you said Father would be back soon! If you do this, Father will be mad when he returns!" Hana cried, tears streaming down her face in her frustration.

"That's enough, Hana. Your father will not be coming back," Kyoko said sternly. A heavy pause ensued between the two as Hana tried to comprehend what her mother said. All her life, Hana had been told that Ren would come back, and more tears fell as she began to understand her mother's words.

"Why?! Didn't you say that as long as we place an object of Father's on the Soul-gathering Sheep Pillow each month, Father will return one day?" Hana whimpered.

"The Sheep Pillow was moved from its location and lost hold of Ren's essence. He won't be coming back," Kyoko said softly, trying to fight back tears herself at having to say out loud the truth that she didn't want to believe.

"Why would it be moved away? I thought Mother looked after it!" Hana started to cry loudly. Kyoko lifted her daughter into her arms and embraced her.

"I did look after it, but I wasn't careful enough. I'm sorry, Hana. It's my fault your father won't come back. He doesn't forgive me for the troubles I let him go through in the palace, and he won't come back because of it. I'm so sorry, Hana," Kyoko soothed the little girl as she cried into Kyoko's shoulder. At the sight of her daughter in tears at learning that her father would never return, Kyoko couldn't hold back her own tears at her daughter's sadness and at the reminder that she had messed up and cost Ren his life.

…

"Kuon-sama!" Maria exclaimed, running up to Kuon as he picked her up. He was on a visit to LME to visit Lory, walking through the beautiful autumn leaves that LME was adorned with that day with Maria in his arms.

"Did you return the pillow, Maria-chan?" Kuon asked.

"Grandfather helped me return it. He told me that the Crown Princess was able to forgive me," Maria replied.

"That's good. I'll be going to the East Sea of the Water Kingdom for a few days, so I hope you don't cause any more trouble when I'm gone," Kuon put her down once they had neared Lory's mansion among the autumn trees.

"Why are you going to the East Sea?" Maria asked.

"The water king of the East Sea had another son, so I received an invitation to the banquet."

"But I thought you usually don't go to social occasions or banquets? Why are you going to this one?" Maria wondered.

"You're right. Normally I don't like social occasions; however, I owe a favor to a fellow disciple named Hidehito Kijima who is a prince of the East Sea. He vouched for me after Master Rick's favorite lotus died on my watch, so I'm going to this happy occasion to repay him for his kindness. I have to return the generosity he showed me in the past," Kuon smiled at her. At that point, Lory stepped out of his mansion with his lone servant to meet Kuon and Maria.

"Kuon, I heard around that you're attending the banquet at the East Sea! To think they're even taking into consideration your eye ailment and how you can't stand bright lights! They're using water lily leaves and weaving them together to cover the bright, glazed coral tiles around the palace just for you. It's been a long time since you've attended any social gatherings, almost tens of millennia, so the East Sea's king is truly making sure you are accommodated well," Lory grinned.

"I wish they wouldn't go through such trouble. The white silk I have would surely be able to last me through the event," Kuon said.

"But what are you going to do when you have to meet the people there? I heard that the water king, Uesegi Hiou, and Kotonami Kanae were invited! You might run into that witch at the banquet!" Maria exclaimed in anger.

"I've never met her before, so there won't be a problem. There is no feud between us, Maria-chan. Kotonami Kanae married Uesegi Hiou out of love, and I'm glad to hear it. I wouldn't want to break up their relationship just to carry out a marriage arrangement. I'm glad the engagement was cancelled," Kuon replied.

"But she humiliated you!" Maria exclaimed.

"My reputation is still fine, Maria-chan. You don't have to worry about that."

"Ah, but what about you engagement with the Crown Princess? I heard she's attending as well," Lory wondered, remembering his meeting with Kyoko only a few days prior. He knew that he was supposed to have cancelled the engagement in some way before, but after speaking with Kyoko, Lory was having doubts. Was it wrong of him to want to see how Kuon and Kyoko would act if they met each other again? Lory didn't have to fear Kuon being so harshly treated by the Sky Palace like he had been as a mortal due to his status, and Lory was beginning to think that maybe Kuon and Kyoko had a misunderstanding. It seemed to Lory that Kyoko really did love Ren even after Kuon's claims before that she had only ever loved Fuwa Sho.

"Are you talking about the marriage arrangement that you helped arrange without telling me?" Kuon asked, smiling brightly at Lory and causing him to chuckle at the obvious anger he knew hid behind the smile.

"The Sky Palace hasn't even come to see me or your father to discuss your wedding date yet. The Crown Princess married Consort Fuwa Sho about 300 years ago and also has a daughter, so she has even less intention of carrying out the engagement than you do. Continuing to delay the wedding like this isn't a good option, so I would like you to make a decision about it now. What if you were to fall in love but couldn't be with the person because of your ties to the Sky Kingdom?" Lory wondered.

"I'm in no rush to get married. I'm so much older than the Crown Princess is. I would be her senpai, and I can't bring myself to cruelly fulfill the engagement if she's not ready to commit," Kuon replied.

"That's the only reason you don't want to just get the marriage over with?"

"Well, I am also not particularly fond of someone who would sacrifice the future of their kingdom due to their personal troubles," Kuon frowned.

"I had a feeling you would react like this after hearing the rumors of how she jumped off Korosu Terrace with your strict beliefs on how kingdoms should be ruled. Do you want me to try to cancel the engagement? I will try to cancel it if you want me to."

"No, there's no need for us to cancel it unless the Sky Palace wishes it. This arrangement is between the Fairy Kingdom and the Sky Kingdom, and my personal opinions come second behind the future of our people. Even if we could cancel it, I wouldn't sacrifice our kingdom's relationship with the Sky Kingdom because of my own grudges against the Crown Princess," Kuon said.

"Wow, Kuon-sama. Your way of thinking is so mature. You're such a great ruler! I guess that explains why the Fairy Kingdom has been doing so well after you became king!" Maria praised him.

"If that's what you really want, then that's fine. I just hope you know what you're getting into," Lory replied.

…

Kijima served a vegetable soup to Kyoko and Hana, smirking seductively to Kyoko who coughed in discomfort before she smiled back politely. Hana rolled her eyes at the display.

"Hidehito-san, today's the tenth day that you've served us," Hana smiled, happy that he would finally leave them in peace.

"Hana's right. You may go now, Hidehito-san," Kyoko replied.

"You can call me Kijima, Crown Princess. Isn't Your Highness heading to the East Sea today to attend my father's banquet? I could lead the way for you," Kijima smirked.

"There's no need. We'll be fine getting there on our own. Thank you for the offer," Kyoko replied. Kijima reluctantly nodded and left, sad that he wouldn't get to spend time with the beautiful Crown Princess anymore.

"Mother, did you know that immortal was trying to court you? I don't want to have another father!" Hana exclaimed.

"I knew his intentions, but you don't have to worry, Hana. I promise that you won't have another father," Kyoko hugged her, confident that the locks on her heart would never be unlocked for another man ever again.

* * *

 **I think you all know what might happen next chapter in the banquet at the East Sea, and I hope you're as excited as I am!**

 **Paulagato-** Lory is starting to wonder if he made a mistake in letting Kuon take the potion without figuring out the full story first. He won't tell Kuon specifically what happened, but he's allowing Kuon to possibly meet Kyoko face to face.

 **Ivy** \- They'll be meeting _very_ soon, and it'll be interesting to see how Kyoko reacts to finding out how Ren never died.

 **ktoll9-** Thank you for your praise on last chapter :). Both Kyoko, Maria, and Kuon have gone through similar traumas since all lost a loved one and felt as if they were responsible, and they all tried everything they could to bring the person back but to no avail. We'll be seeing more of Maria in later chapters and see what happens when she meets with Kyoko.

 **Erza-** When Kuon does get his memories back, that might have a high possibility of happening! And Lory this chapter is letting his doubt about his grasp over the situation change his decisions. Now that he's seen how hurt Kyoko was over losing the sheep pillow, Lory's starting to believe that maybe it had all been a misunderstanding between Kyoko and Ren. That's why he's allowing Kuon to go to the banquet and possibly see Kyoko there. And you don't have to worry about Kyoko not recognizing Kuon since she knows Ren's body proportions exactly to make statues and dolls of him ;).

 **H-Nala-** Hope you liked this chapter too!

 **Guest (I'm sorry if this is more than one person but I can't tell unless you put different names)-** Thank you, and I'm glad you liked the last chapter!


	25. Chapter 25

**I have to apologize for subjecting you all to what the brat's been up to for the past 300 years at the beginning of this chapter, but don't worry! After we catch up with the brat, we get to see our two lovebirds both at the East Sea Royal Palace...**

* * *

"Pochi, what's she been up to lately?" Sho asked. Mimori rolled her eyes.

"Her little imp got lost in the woods and saved by Hidehito Kijima. To repay him, the Crown Princess let him serve them until they departed for the East Sea to that dumb banquet," Mimori reported.

"But I heard that platform-wearing Hizuri-Kuon is going to be there too! Why did you come back so early without following Kyoko inside?!" Sho asked in jealousy.

"Why do you care if he's there or not? The Crown Princess is already engaged to him anyways. They're going to get married sooner or later, so just pay attention to me from now on, Sho-chan! The Crown Princess hasn't visited you in 300 years, and it's not like you've been faithful to her either!" Mimori yelled.

"Shhhh! Not so loud Pochi!"

"Just divorce her already! It's not like she harbors feelings for you anyways! She made that clear when she stabbed you and swore revenge! You can have me instead!" Mimori exclaimed.

"I don't want you! She's the one I'm supposed to be with! You're just a new maid that distracted me from my true love!" Sho frowned.

"Then what about Shoko-san? Or Asami-san? I know you've been attracted to all of your maids, Sho-chan!" Mimori yelled.

"Leave me alone, Pochi!" Sho yelled, teleporting himself to his bedroom where he wouldn't be disturbed. If Mimori wasn't so good at giving him intel, he would have requested to remove her a long time ago for her annoying personality.

...

After they had collected all their belongings from the hut and were ready to depart, Kyoko and Hana teleported to the East Sea with their guards. It was night time, and Kyoko looked out across the sand to see the moonlight glistening off the dark ocean. She felt melancholy as she gazed at the dark depths of the ocean, the waves reminding her too much of her memories with Ren at the North Sea.

"I'm going to put you to bed, Hana, but afterwards I need to take a walk to clear my head," Kyoko told her daughter with a hint of sorrow in her voice.

"Okay, Mother. Return soon. Father would be heartbroken if you made a habit of not returning to your chambers at night," Hana replied.

"Hana, didn't I already tell you that your father won't be-"

"I heard what you told me, but I cannot accept it. I have a feeling that Father will return. Even if you've given up on him, Mother, I still choose to believe in him," Hana said determinedly. Kyoko nodded before grabbing Hana's hand and leading her towards the East Sea's Royal Palace to tuck her in for the night.

…

When he arrived at the East Sea, Kuon didn't feel like making his presence known. He hadn't attended a social gathering like this one ever since his training at Goraku Mountain, and he never really liked to socialize that much anyways. When Kuon arrived at the East Sea Royal Palace, he looked to his left and saw the moonlit ocean and felt his legs pulling him towards it, urging him to visit the beach. He couldn't recall ever visiting a beach before, but somehow he felt drawn to it.

The beach was littered with large stones amidst small patches of sand. As Kuon came up to the edge of the shore, he looked into the water and spotted a group of fish swimming not too far away from the shore. He felt curious and heaved a big rock onto his shoulders, walking out into the water. When the water reached just above his hips, Kuon plopped into the water with the rock, allowing him to stay underwater. The moonlight was bright enough for him to see the various fish swimming around him, and Kuon smiled as he reached out to see the small creatures in action. He had always liked animals, and fish were no exception.

One small blue fish came to stare at him straight on before pecking him on the nose. He chuckled before closing his eyes to relax in the oceanic wonderland.

…

After tucking Hana in, Kyoko resolved to walk along the beach, remembering her first ever beach visit with Ren by her side. The beach was more rocky than the beach she had visited with Ren, and Kyoko kept on her shoes this time to avoid hurting her feet on sharp rocks. She stopped on the shore to look out into the ocean and reached into her robe to pull out both Ren's pendant and her own stone, each with half of their wedding stone. Ever since he had jumped off Korosu Terrace, Kyoko had always kept the stones with her. She cradled them in her hand and pressed them to her heart, crying as she remembered him tossing it to the ground before he jumped. She knew she would never be able to let go of the images that assaulted her mind from that day.

Tomorrow she would be attending a banquet where, according to rumors, she would meet her future husband. She had already been engaged to him for 300 years, but she knew in her heart that she could never grow to love him. She would never love Hizuri Kuon as long as her failure to protect Ren lingered in her heart. She wouldn't let herself be happy after she had driven Ren to jumping off Korosu Terrace rather than spend another second in her presence.

As she walked along the rocks further down the beach, she saw a figure emerging from the water and froze, quickly putting the stones in her robe and wiping the tears off her face. Did sea monsters exist so close to shore?

As the figure came closer, she saw it was a man and sighed in relief, going closer to see who had surfaced from the water. The man used his hands to lift his wet hair off of his face, whisking tiny droplets of water into the air around him. He looked up to see a beautiful lady standing across from him with her mouth gaped open in shock as she looked at the blonde man with emerald eyes coming out of the water. The many locks around Kyoko's heart blew open, tiny angels flying out in joy as Kyoko's demons cowered back at the light emitted from the box.

This man looked exactly like Ren. The body proportions were right and everything! Sure his hair color and eye color were different, but Kyoko knew it was him! The water droplets on his hair glistened like diamond grains, and the dazzling moonlight framed the wet robe that stuck to his toned chest. Kyoko put her hands over her mouth as she realized Ren was alive and she smiled at the sight of her love who she had thought died 300 years ago. Kuon wondered why the lady smiled at him so. She seemed very familiar, but Kuon couldn't recall ever meeting her before.

"Ren!" Kyoko exclaimed before running up to embrace him. He widened his eyes in confusion at the stranger's forwardness. He shrugged her off then proceeded to walk out of the water, not knowing who this woman was. Wringing out his robe, he looked at her in confusion again when he realized she was following him.

"Ah, say, Ren…Well you see…I-" Kyoko stammered before Kuon glared at her, not understanding why she kept confusing him for someone else. He didn't know her!

Kuon's glare made a cloud of gloom form around Kyoko. He didn't forgive her for what had happened. Of course he hated her. He wouldn't even acknowledge her anymore or even speak to her. She had failed him, and she deserved this punishment. Kyoko slumped to the ground and put her head on her knees, tears forming in her eyes. As Kyoko heard a gust of wind, she looked up to see the man had already vanished. She immediately stood up and rushed around the beach, looking for him.

"Ren!" Kyoko called out repeatedly. She ran around shouting his name, but she was unable to find him again. Maybe she had accidentally walked into a confusion shield. Her mind was just playing tricks on her. She had to accept that he wasn't coming back.

Kyoko stuffed the angels into her box again, shutting it with a single lock. She was too disheartened to put any more effort into shielding it again.

…

The next day, Kyoko went to attend the banquet with Hana, both wearing the imperial purple robes of the royal family. As they walked along the coast towards the banquet hall, Hana saw some tide pools and asked if they could see the tide pools for a few moments. Kyoko had allowed it, still dispirited from her hallucinations the night before. As they had arrived at the tide pools, Kyoko again remembered her memories with Ren snooping on a conversation between the Ishibashis at a tide pool. She sunk onto her knees and let go of her daughter's hand, closing her eyes tightly so that the memories would leave her alone. When she opened them again, she found Hana to be missing. Kyoko worriedly stood up, calling out Hana's name and running around to look for her.

…

Kuon woke up on the branch of a tree in the morning where he had teleported the night before after meeting that weird girl. Kuon didn't want to immediately go into the banquet, so he spent time wandering around outside before he would have to go inside. He was touched that all of the light fixtures around the palace had been covered with water lily leaves for his sake, but he felt bad that the East Sea had spent so much time and effort just to accommodate him. Upon turning right to see a gigantic palm tree, Kuon found a little pigtailed girl at the tree's base, digging at the grass surrounding it. He crouched down next to her, but she didn't turn to look at him, still concentrated on her task. She looked pretty similar to the girl he had seen by the beach, but this couldn't be her because this little girl was too young. Kuon looked at her emerald eyes and wondered why he felt as if those emerald eyes looked like . What was with him? He was experiencing lots of déjà vu lately.

"What are you digging for?" Kuon wondered.

"I'm pulling out the grass. I read that the coral under the weeds is the most beautiful thing on the East Sea seafloor. I wanted to see it, so I snuck away from Mother so that she wouldn't force me to go to the banquet," Hana replied, not stopping in her digging.

"Your Mother must be worried about you suddenly missing. Are you from the Sky Kingdom?" Kuon asked, noticing the purple imperial robe that the little girl wore. She nodded, still on her quest to find the coral.

"Have you ever tried a wind spell? It might clear away the grass easier," Kuon suggested.

"Good idea! I've never performed a wind spell before, but it shouldn't be that hard, right? I read about them already!" Hana exclaimed before casting a wind spell. However, since she was still inexperienced in elemental magic and not in full control over her powers yet, she accidentally cast a wind spell whose effects could be felt around the entire palace as the water lily leaves covering the lighting fixtures all fell off. Kuon's white silk immediately came over his eyes as the bright lights assaulted his fragile eyes.

"Am I in trouble now?" Hana wondered, looking around at the wreckage she had caused.

"It's all right. I was the one who suggested you use a wind spell, and no one else but me saw that it was you who did it. It'll be our secret," Kuon smiled. Hana for the first time turned to look at the immortal who she had been talking to and gasped. The many sculptures and dolls that her mother had made of Ren with accurate body proportions let Hana immediately recognize who this man was. Even though his hair color was different, he was wearing the same type of white silk around his eyes that he had been wearing in many of the sculptures!

"Father!" Hana exclaimed, running up to hug Kuon.

"You must have the wrong person, little immortal."

At that moment, Kyoko turned the corner to see Hana and sighed in relief that she had found her. However, upon coming closer to see who her daughter was hugging, she widened her eyes in surprise. The single lock around her box was destroyed in an instant again. This couldn't be a trick, right? Hana was hugging him, so he had to be real this time!

"Ren?!" Kyoko exclaimed, approaching the pair with her hands over her mouth in shock. He looked at her in confusion. Wasn't this the girl from before? She slowly walked up to him, reaching out her hand when she was in front of him to see if he really was real. When she touched his cheek lightly, Kuon swatted her hand away. She looked at him, hurt, before looking down dejectedly. This man might be real, but she had to be mistaken to think he was Ren. She had to remind herself that Ren was dead already. She couldn't keep looking for signs of him in everything.

"I'm sorry. I must be mistaken. You aren't who I thought you were. My apologies for offending you," Kyoko bowed, trying to keep the tears out of her eyes.

"You are too courteous," Kuon replied, turning his face away from her in guilt at hurting her.

"Is Father angry?" Hana asked in a small voice, grabbing Kuon's hand.

"Hana, let's go," Kyoko commanded, turning her back to try to not take another look at Kuon. Every time she looked at him, she was only reminded of Ren even though this clearly wasn't him. He acted like he had never seen her before in his life, so this couldn't be Ren.

"But Father-"

"Hana. Please," Kyoko repeated. Hana took one more sad look at Kuon before taking her mother's hand reluctantly.

"Farewell," Kyoko said to Ren before leaving with Hana.

"Mother, he looks very much like the sculpture in the Hall of Radiance at the Sky Palace," Hana said as Kyoko led her away from Kuon. Overhearing the comment, Kuon finally realized who this woman could be. The Hall of Radiance was part of the Crown Princess's palace in the Sky Palace. Could this be the Crown Princess, Mogami Kyoko?

* * *

 **Thank you for reading this chapter, and thank you to all who commented on last chapter!**

 **H-Nala-** Hope you enjoyed seeing their first reunion this chapter! Thanks for commenting!

 **Ivy-** This is the first time Hana's met her father although for a short period of time, but don't worry because we'll have some more father-daughter scenes soon! She's very intelligent for her age due to how smart her parents both are, but she also has her head in the sky at times like Kyoko. Thanks for always leaving me comments, Ivy!

 **Erza-** Right now, Kyoko believes that Kuon is someone else because of how he's acting, but she was ecstatic to learn he wasn't dead when she first saw him on that beach! Her misunderstanding will be resolved next chapter though, and we'll finally be able to resolve the angst! Thank you for all of your kind compliments :).

 **paulagato-** After Kuon took the memory potion, he forgot everything that happened in his mortal life. He doesn't remember anyone he met, including Kyoko, Kanae, or Sho. That doesn't mean they don't remember him though, and someone might tell him about Ren sooner or later... Lory's realized that Kyoko might actually love Ren though, so he's essentially helping her get a chance by letting Kuon stay engaged to her and meeting her at the banquet. Hana's optimism let her stay positive even after learning that her father might not come back, and it paid off since she's going to be able to get to know her father soon! Thanks for commenting as always, paulagato!

 **Guest-** I'm so glad you've been enjoying this fic! Thank you for leaving such a kind comment!

 **Moon-lit Shadows12-** You and me both became a bit distracted recently since I took a month hiatus just recently as well! Thank you for enjoying my work! I hope you enjoyed watching our couple finally reunite!


	26. Chapter 26

**Ah, we love another reunion chapter don't we?**

* * *

"Why did we not stay to speak with Father? Hasn't it been 300 years since we've last seen him?" Hana wondered. Kyoko led her outside to the back of the East Sea palace and sighed. She was trying to keep herself composed, but it was hard with Hana trying to insinuate that the man was her father when Kyoko knew he wasn't. She didn't want to keep hearing about him and getting her hopes up just to keep having them crushed by reality.

"That wasn't your father, Hana. Come on, we need to get to the banquet. We're already late since I had to spend so much time trying to find you. And now we have to fix your outfit," Kyoko said, swiping her hand through the air to cast a spell on Hana's attire. Hana's previous deep-purple robe covered in sand was replaced with a light lavender robe embellished with dark purple orchids.

"How do you know for sure that he's not Father?"

"Hana, why do you have to be so set on that man being your father?! Your father was different, and he would have remembered us! That man cannot be Ren!" Kyoko repeated exasperatedly.

"But he is! I know in my heart that he's my father!" Hana exclaimed passionately.

"We don't have time to argue about this. Let's just hurry and enter the banquet," Kyoko sighed, taking Hana's hand to lead the way to the entrance of the East Sea Palace.

…

Kuon decided to finally enter the East Sea Palace after talking with the little girl and her mother. He couldn't put it off any longer, so he might as well just get it over with. Kuon managed to smile sincerely though as he saw Kijima in the doorway greeting the guests that had arrived late. It had been ages since he had last seen his disciple friend.

"Hizuri-kun!" Kijima exclaimed, running over to shake hands with Kuon enthusiastically.

"It's nice to see you again, Kijima-kun," Kuon replied with a grin.

"You know, I was surprised when I heard you were coming to the banquet. It's been so long since we last saw each other as fellow disciples! How have you been?" Kijima asked.

"I've been fine. When I returned home, I was coronated as the king of the Fairy Kingdom. Lately, I haven't been out to many social gatherings, but I decided to make an exception to pay my friend a visit," Kuon smiled.

"Well I'm glad you're here, Hizuri-kun! First the Crown Princess attends, and now you? This banquet is the best!" Kijima exclaimed.

"The Crown Princess? Is she already inside?" Kuon wondered.

"No, she's still not here yet, but no worries! She's the Crown Princess after all. You know, I found her daughter when she was lost and helped her find her way home, so I was able to spend ten days in the Crown Princess's company in return! She's ridiculously serious about her morals and life lessons and wanted to repay me in any way possible. I'll tell you, she's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, although she never responded to any of my hints that I was interested. If she wasn't engaged to you, then I would definitely try harder to snag her for myself. Hizuri-kun, why do you always have to get the ladies?!" Kijima whined.

"The marriage arrangement was decided by Takarada-san and my father, not me," Kuon replied with a fake smile. It's not like he really wanted to marry someone who was willing to sacrifice their kingdom for their personal agenda. The Crown Princess had been all too willing to risk her own life just to escape her confining life as the Crown Princess without regard to those around her who depended on her.

"Well it's good you're not too attached to her then, because from what I learned she's still hung up over someone else. I saw a sculpture that she made of the guy while I stayed with her, but I've never seen him around so I guess he's passed? It could be that mortal that bewitched her to fall in love with him based on the rumors. It looks like she's still not over him, so I'm sorry for you, Hizuri-kun."

As Kuon and Kijima were talking, Kyoko and her daughter approached the entrance. Kyoko held Hana back as she attempted to run up to Kuon. She didn't want to interrupt their conversation, so they would wait until it was done then enter. It wasn't nice to eavesdrop, but Kyoko couldn't help but overhear their conversation since they were the only ones talking outside the entrance with only the cool sea breeze whispering into their ears.

"I only intend to keep the marriage arrangement out of respect for the beneficial political atmosphere the marriage will create between the Fairy Kingdom and the Sky Kingdom. I have no intention of attaching any feelings of romance to the arrangement," Kuon replied.

"Ouch. That's harsh, Hizuri-kun. You do know that you're not only putting yourself into a loveless marriage, but also condemning the Crown Princess to the same fate?"

"That's not true. She has another consort already in the Sky Palace and can have as many more as she wants for all I care. Our arrangement is strictly political together."

As she overheard their conversation, a lightbulb flashed in Kyoko's head. Was this Hizuri Kuon? Was Ren's lookalike her fiancé? How cruel was the world to put her in such a situation!

Kyoko took a few steps forward to get a closer look at her fiancé and gasped as she looked into his luminous emerald eyes. They looked exactly like Hana's! How was that possible? Waiting longer as Kuon continued his talk with Kijima, she watched as Kijima made a joke that angered Kuon, causing him to smile with a high amount of sparkles. That was exactly what Ren used to do when he was angry! This guy not only looked similar, but he had the same mannerisms!

Kyoko wondered if maybe this was Ren, but how could she be sure? He looked similar, had the same mannerisms, and the same eyes as her daughter. Kyoko looked at him closely, hoping no one could see how her eyes were roaming all over his body, precisely scanning his body measurements. She gasped. Everything was the same! There wasn't a hair on his head that wasn't the same as Ren's. There was no way this could be another person! It had to be Ren!

Tears started to stream down her face, but she didn't know whether they were of happiness or of sadness. On one hand, she was relieved that he was alive, but he seemed to not remember her at all. Was he just acting like he didn't know her? She knew that another difference between Kuon and Ren was that Kuon was distinctly immortal, and a king nonetheless! How did he become an immortal and why did he change his hair and eye color? Or were these his natural looks instead of the chocolate brown eyes and dark brown hair Kyoko had grown accustomed to? Is that why Hana's eyes were emerald green and why she was born as a fully-fledged immortal instead of half-human? In her thinking, Kyoko loosened her hold on Hana and failed to restrain her daughter as she ran up to Kuon, immediately latching onto him in a hug.

"Father!"

"You again? Did you pop out of nowhere?" Kuon smiled at the cute little girl.

"No, I didn't come here using my powers. I walked here with Mother," Hana smiled back, motioning to Kyoko who cautiously approached them.

"I did not know that you were High God Hizuri Kuon of the Fairy Kingdom," Kyoko said before bowing at a perfect 90 degree angle. "My apologies for offending you earlier."

Kuon coughed uncomfortably at having his future wife and highly respected goddess bowing in front of him like this for such a trivial matter in front of Kijima and Hana.

"Please stand up straight, Mogami-san. I forgive you for mistaking me for someone else. Please don't bow like that to me again. It's unnecessary," Kuon assured her. Kyoko slowly stood up and looked directly into Kuon's eyes. Hana grabbed her hand, but she still didn't avert her gaze. This was definitely Ren, and Kyoko wondered if he was purposely putting on this charade of not knowing her. She was determined to make him crack if he was. She needed to apologize for everything that happened, see if maybe he could forgive her. But she couldn't do that unless he stopped being so stubborn about keeping up this act.

"If you say so. I guess it would be weird if a wife was constantly bowing to her husband in public," Kyoko replied, her venom at his act of not knowing her partially seeping through her words. However, Kuon took this as a sign of her displeasure at the engagement between them.

"I am exactly 90,000 years older than you, Mogami-san, so I understand if you don't find our marriage arrangement ideal. I'm also a High God, so I understand if you accidentally use the title 'senpai' as well to address me to show respect in private, but please do try to refrain from doing so in public," Kuon said, high and mighty. Kijima looked at him in shock. Why was the usually kind Kuon being so rude, to the Crown Princess who was his fiancé no less?

"Oh. So then does that mean I need not use any formalities with you at all? I assure you that I don't need to keep up _my act_ if I don't want to. If Hana calls you Father, then under what reasoning would I call you senpai, Corn? We do have a marriage arrangement after all," Kyoko smiled saccharinely, trying to get under his nerves. Her smile widened as Kuon's own smile seemed to twitch in irritation and take on more sparkles than before. Kijima looked between the two, confused as to why there was so much tension between them.

"First of all, my name is Ku-on, not Corn. And I never gave you the permission to address me so informally, even if you are to be my future wife. It seems as if you're intentionally trying to strike a nerve with me seeing as how you were also eavesdropping on our private conversation just now without our permission, Mogami-san. I would have thought that the Crown Princess would have been taught to value others' privacy," Kuon said, his smile becoming even more gentlemanly. Kyoko's demons basked in his palpable anger.

"Mother and I were about to enter the banquet, but you were standing in the doorway, Father. We didn't want to be rude and interrupt your conversation, so we were waiting until you finished. I'm so happy that we keep meeting you, Father! Are you following us since you can't bear to part with us and want to return to the Sky Palace with me and Mother?" Hana asked. Kuon stared blankly at her in confusion.

"Can't bear to part with you? I'm afraid it's just a coinci-"

"Hana, you're right. Your father can't bear to part with us," Kyoko smiled.

"Yay! Father is the best! When will we return to the Sky Palace, Father? When will you be coming home?" Hana asked excitedly, grabbing his big hand in her own two tiny ones.

"Return home?" Kuon asked, confused.

"You've been gone for so long, Father! Aren't you excited to return? Can we go home together now?" Hana asked, looking at him with puppy dog eyes. He shifted his gaze over to Kyoko to see her looking at him quizzically. He wondered why she looked at him with such an expression. What answer did she expect from him?

"Wait a second, I was still talking to Kijima-kun," Kuon told Hana.

"It's fine, Hizuri-san. You can always talk to me some other time. Enjoy the banquet," Kijima winked before leaving the family and entering the banquet. He knew his cue to leave after being in the middle of the lovers' quarrel. Kuon was left awkwardly with Kyoko and Hana waiting for him to answer Hana's earlier question. He tightly gripped his wrist before acting as if he suddenly remembered something, determined to use his acting skills to get out of the uncomfortable situation Kijima had put him in.

"Ah, I just remembered! I have some things to take care of. I'll meet you two some other time! Farewell," Kuon smiled brightly before turning to walk into the banquet until he felt an invisible force holding him in place. Kuon wondered if Kyoko was using some sort of magic on him to freeze him in place, but he couldn't sense any magic in the air around him.

"Corn, is it perhaps that you're afraid that by entering the banquet with me and my daughter we will attract gossip? You do know that you and I have a marriage agreement, so there's no need to worry about attracting suspicion," Kyoko smiled wickedly. Kuon tried to refute her argument with another excuse, but found no words to say in reponse as his throat seemed to constrict. Still, he couldn't sense her using any magic on him though. The only explanation was that she had seen through his act, and his guilt was possibly rooting him in place at having his blatant lie discovered. Hana grabbed his hand with a wide grin, and he reluctantly followed her into the banquet alongside Kyoko.

* * *

 **I'm super excited to continue exploring Kyoko and Kuon's budding relationship as well as Kuon's relationship with his daughter! I've always believed that Ren would be a great dad, and I can't wait to write it all out! I just want to thank everyone who has ever followed, favorited, or reviewed this story and especially those who reviewed last chapter! See you all soon!**

 **ktoll9-** She's not too devastated yet since she found out that Kuon really is Ren and that she is actually engaged to him! This story has had lots of angst already, and I would like to say that we're moving away from most of that for the time being! It's time for our family to reunite!

 **H-Nala-** Unfortunately, Kuon forgot all about Kyoko due to that little misunderstanding caused by Sho. Kuon will be a bit cruel to Kyoko as they're just meeting again since he dislikes how she chose to deal with Ren's death by almost sacrificing herself too. The next couple chapters will be similar to the start of Skip Beat! with their relationship initially starting off with hate, but we'll see some changes soon!

 **Mani-** I'm so glad you liked last chapter! We'll have lots more cute Kuon and Hana father-daughter moments coming up soon!

 **Paulagato-** Thank you for your kind words! I'm happy to answer any more questions you have, so feel free to ask if you need any clarification!

 **Guest-** I'm happy you enjoyed last chapter! I hope this chapter fulfilled your expectations as well!

 **Ivy401-** I'm so touched that my fic is your favorite! Thank you for such nice words and for your reviews each chapter!

 **Erza-** We aren't nearing the end quite yet! We still have to deal with a few problems like Kuon regaining his memory, and the Heavens are going to get a lot more hectic soon... I'm happy you catched the Guam reference too! And Kyoko has to be a pretty commanding mother since she's been a single mother for 300 years and has raised Hana by herself. She loves her daughter and only wants her to succeed in the future, but at least she's not as cruel as her own mother! It's only because Kyoko's been deeply hurt by Ren's passing that she can't deal with Hana's optimism of him coming back. Luckily that changed since Kuon is actually Ren!


	27. Chapter 27

**A little later than usual, but nevertheless I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Kyoko and Kuon entered into the banquet with a comfortable distance between them, and Hana led the pair of them inside with a smile. Seashells lined each wall up to the ceiling where beautiful chandeliers made of turquoise and light green sea glass hung. Around the hall, there were many high-ranking immortals, each dressed in formal robes, either sitting at clam-shaped tables to eat or mingling on the floor. Maids dressed in elegant light green robes carried trays of hors d'oeuvres around the banquet hall. Neither Kyoko nor Kuon were too keen on conversing with others, so once inside the banquet hall, the family went to a table and sat down as various delicacies were served to them by the maids. Hana enthusiastically ate anything given to her, reminding Kuon of a certain blonde father with a black hole of a stomach. He had never believed that anyone could amount to Kuu in their food intake, but he was shocked to see the little girl scarfing down everything and still stay that tiny. Both Kyoko and Kuon could feel the piercing stares from those around them and heard the whispering of the other immortals wondering why they had suddenly entered together, but they both didn't seem to mind. While they were eating, many men approached Kyoko and bowed to her respectfully since she was the Crown Princess, incessantly praising her previous victories in battle and saying how cute the young Hana was. Kyoko graciously thanked each person who praise her, but Kuon could tell they were just trying to get close to her by the amount of time they lingered and by how they would glare at him. This caused Kuon to chuckle.

"Could it be you dragged me here to ward off suitors?" Kuon asked in a whisper as another man reluctantly said farewell to her. Kyoko looked at him in shock before replying.

"I hardly think anyone would want to court me. I don't really step out of the palace to socialize that much, so there's no reason they would be attracted to me. There's other better women to court in the Heavens," Kyoko responded.

"Your humbleness is truly a sight to behold, Crown Princess. I've heard of your astounding humility and beauty before, but seeing it up close is something else. I guess that means everything they say about you is actually true. What a shame," Kuon remarked with a sigh and a shake of his head.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kyoko wondered. Kuon looked towards Hana who was focused on eating, and he whispered his next words so that only Kyoko could hear them.

"You're someone willing to sacrifice their role as the Crown Princess that protects their kingdom for your own personal problems. If you left your people, who would be there for them? Did you think about that before doing what you did? What about your newborn daughter's life?" Kuon whispered with his smile shining as bright as the sun to hide his extreme anger with Kyoko. She was shocked by his sudden hostility. Is this why she had been sensing some anger from him the whole time she had talked with him?

"You jumped off Korosu Terrace to escape your life as Crown Princess, but did you ever stop to think about how this would affect those around you?" Kuon glared at her. It felt like that glare froze her into place, chilling the air around the pair by several degrees. Kyoko unconsciously scooted back in her seat, shocked by his words and anger towards her. Ren had never been this angry at her before, and she couldn't help but feel guilty that she had almost been killed and almost left her daughter an orphan. But what was he talking about when he said that it was to escape her life as Crown Princess!? She jumped off Korosu Terrace to try to save him!

"But even if I dislike what you did, it seems that I'm still forced to marry you for the good of my kingdom. Just do what you want with your life, but never drag my people into this. I will protect them, and I will not hesitate to put them above everything else even if it means going against my legal wife," Kuon whispered back as he smiled gentlemanly again, his anger slightly dissipating. Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief at his change in tone. His angry side had been scary.

Another man approached their table at that moment, and Kyoko smiled at Hiou-kun as she recognized him. Kuon noticed this and wondered who this was and why Kyoko knew him.

"Crown Princess, I would like to speak to you about something personal. Could you speak with me privately?" Hiou asked with his arms folded, trying to hide his blushing face from her. Kyoko nodded and stood up to follow him. Kuon raised a confused eyebrow at Hiou's expression as Kyoko followed Hiou to a patio outside of the banquet hall, happy to get away from the sudden hostility of Kuon.

Since Kyoko had left, maybe this was Kuon's time to escape? He was only required to marry her when ordered to by the Heavenly Empress, so it wasn't like he needed to keep talking to her when it wasn't needed. Kuon made to get up until Hana grabbed his arm, having finished eating her soup.

"Father? Where are you going?" Hana asked. Kuon looked into her innocent eyes and realized he couldn't leave her alone here like this. Those eyes were full of hope, and Kuon wouldn't let the light go out of those bright green, young eyes.

"I'm going to look for your mother and return you to her," Kuon responded, resigning to acting as a righteous man helping the little girl meet back up with her mother.

"Oh? Do you not trust Mother? Are you afraid that she's speaking with a man alone, and you're using me as an excuse to break them up?" Hana giggled. Kuon looked at her in shock. Why would she think such a thing!? Her insinuations of romantic relationships where there weren't any was almost as bad as Lory's! Kuon quickly schooled his expression.

"Your mother is so upstanding. Why would she be having a tryst? I only want to reunite you two. Let's go now," Kuon said, standing up with Hana. She immediately grabbed his hand, and Kuon softened his eyes at her innocent action. She was too pure and trusting for this world. It was as if she was his daughter, and Kuon wondered why it didn't feel weird at all to him. Hand in hand, they left towards the direction where Kyoko and Hiou had gone.

While walking towards Kyoko's private meeting with Hiou, Kuon began to think over Hana's plan and felt as if it would be untactful to barge in. Perhaps Kyoko didn't want to be disturbed in this private conversation. Yes, she had disturbed his own talk with Kijima, but that didn't mean he had to stoop to her level. Kuon stopped walking.

"Look, we shouldn't disturb your mother in her secret meeting. She's a healthy young woman and that man also looks like a healthy young man. It's normal for young men and women to desire each other. Why should we break them apart?" Kuon asked Hana.

"Not all young men and women desire each other! And they don't all have to be young to desire each other! Just look at Mother and Fuwa-san compared to Father and Mother! Mother hates Fuwa-san who is almost her same age, but she loves Father with her whole heart even if he's 90,000 years older!" Hana exclaimed.

"Fuwa-san isn't your father?" Kuon wondered. He had always assumed that Kyoko's sole consort, Fuwa Sho, was the father to Hana. Regular immortals were unlikely to believe in the rumors that Kyoko had a romantic relationship with a mortal due to the stigma of immortal-mortal superiority, but Kuon wondered if maybe these rumors were the truth.

"No! You are! Mother said that you were a mortal back then and met her in the mortal realm when she was disguised in the form of a small black dragon!" Hana explained. Kuon wondered where she could have thought up such a ridiculous and false story. However, he didn't want to flat out refute her statement in the fear of hurting her.

"Even if that's true, you haven't met me before. How could you recognize me as your father?" Kuon wondered, encouraging the little girl's story.

"Mother sculpted two statues of Father with a piece of white silk covering his eyes and put them in our house in the mortal realm and in the Hall of Radiance. She also made me a set of dolls! You looked exactly like the statue under the palm tree earlier, so you must be Father!" Hana exclaimed.

"No wonder..." Kuon nodded in understanding, finally realizing why Hana had mistaken him for her father.

"As I got older, Mother told me that Father jumped off the Korosu Terrace after I was born and went to the mortal realm but would one day return," Hana continued, gripping his hand tighter. Kuon suddenly felt pitiful for the little girl. He had heard about the Korosu Terrace, and it was likely that her father's corpse couldn't even be found. That was probably why she had been told this false story by her mother.

"Father, why can't you remember any of this? Why aren't you concerned about Mother meeting with another man?" Hana asked, frowning in disappointment.

"Look, I'm engaged to your mother, but I only just met her today. I can't say I'm that concerned about her other lovers," Kuon replied but froze as Hana started to cry. Oh no. He had said something wrong.

"I surely have lived up to my name! Father named me after the word "Hanare" since I was born right before he separated from Mother! I don't deserve to have a happy family! I deserve to be all alone! Nobody wants me!" Hana cried. Kuon picked her up in his arms instinctively and hugged her.

"Don't cry, don't cry. Since I'm your father, why would I not want you, hm? Everything's alright," Kuon comforted the little girl crying in his arms. Her tears started to lessen, and he set her down, relieved that she had calmed down.

"But you don't want Mother. If you don't want her, then she'll marry someone else and have another baby and won't want me anymore," Hana sniffed.

"Since I'm your father...why would I not want your mother? Your mother is my sw-sweetheart, my precious, my love, right?" Kuon exclaimed to soothe her, wiping Hana's tears off her cheeks with his sleeve.

"Really?"

"Of course!" Kuon lied.

"Then come with me, Father!" Hana perked up, dragging Kuon towards Kyoko's secret meeting with Hiou.

When they rounded the corner to see Kyoko and Hiou, Hana ran up to her mother and hugged her as Kuon slowly followed behind. Kyoko immediately froze as she saw Kuon, still a bit tense from his previous display of anger.

"And you are...?" Hiou asked Kuon. Kuon looked over at Hana who watched him expectantly. He sighed. He had promised her after all.

"This child calls me Father and is Kyoko-chan's daughter. I would dislike it if another man were to impose on our familial relationship and try to steal my fiancé away. Who are _you_?" Kuon asked with a gentleman's smile. Hiou looked at him in shock at his insinuations.

"I'm her best friend's husband! I wouldn't want to be with this wretched person even if we were the last two people in the world! I was just asking her about her experience with raising a child since my wife and I are expecting soon. We were just finished, so I'll leave you two be now," Hiou bowed to Kyoko before scurrying away from the group, still blushing at Kuon's insinuations. Kuon froze at the truth and felt awkward as he stood in front of Kyoko who looked at him curiously.

"Ah, so that's what it was. I apologize for barging in. I must go now," Kuon smiled brightly at Hana, embarrassed that he had barged in on an innocent conversation before she grabbed his arm, smiling sweetly at him.

"You just said that Mother is your sweetheart, your precious, your love! You can't leave yet!" Hana exclaimed. Kuon blushed at Hana's exclamation and felt his heartbeat quicken unintentionally as Kyoko gaped her mouth at him before smiling lovingly. She approached him slowly and he started backing away until he hit a wall. She was only a breath away from him now, and he could feel the heat radiating between them. She turned to whisper in his ear.

"Ren, are you just pretending to be ignorant or have you truly forgotten me?" Kyoko whispered in his ear so that Hana wouldn't hear. Kuon wondered why she kept mistaking him for someone else. It was getting annoying. He slipped to the side away from her.

"I really must be going now," Kuon announced, his long legs quickly carrying him away before anyone could protest at his departure.

"Mother, are you not going to chase after Father?" Hana asked.

"There's no need. He's probably returning home to the Fairy Kingdom. We'll be able to find him again, but I need to pay a visit to LME first to ask High God Takarada Lory some questions," Kyoko said. If there was anyone who would know what had happened to Ren after he jumped off Korosu Terrace to become Kuon, it would be his godfather. Kyoko would have to take up Lory's previous offer to join him in LME at any time to figure out exactly what was going on.

...

In a hidden underground dungeon in the land of the Sky Kingdom, four prisoners were moping around, bound to the walls of their cell by magic-restraining handcuffs. Two guards were stationed in front of their cell, waiting alertly at the entrance of the room for any signs of trouble. However, the guards were no match for the two skilled magic users that suddenly appeared in the room behind them, sending magical daggers into their backs that vaporized them instantly.

"I was beginning to wonder when you two would finally show up," Miroku yawned, stretching out his arms.

"Hey, I had to break the teleportation barrier around this cell without arousing any suspicion. Manaka was also cultivating her magic to break those almost impenetrable magic cuffs that the Sky Kingdom uses on its prisoners. You can at least give us some credit since it _only_ took us 300 years," Murasame frowned. At his words, the shorter of the two immortals shot a beam of light from her hands towards the cuffs on Vie Ghoul's hands. The handcuffs instantly disappeared, and Manaka smiled at a job well done.

"Fine, I'll admit it didn't take that long. It _is_ nice to be free again," Miroku grinned.

"You're all free! Now we can finally bring back King Reino, Miroku! Miroku, aren't you glad that he's finally coming back?! Miroku!" Manaka squealed.

"Dasuku, do you still remember how to remove one's ears with magic?" Miroku winced in pain at her agitating high-pitched squeaks.

"Manaka-chan, we still have some work to do to bring King Reino back. Let's all regroup at the Ghost Kingdom to discuss our next course of action," Murasame suggested. Manaka nodded, and all of the immortals in the room teleported away, leaving no trace behind that would give any evidence as to how Vie Ghoul had escaped.

* * *

 **I'm really enjoying writing this part of the story, and I hope you're also enjoying reading it!**

 **H-Nala-** Thank you for your support on this story!

 **Erza-** I enjoy putting in little canon easter eggs and seeing who can pick up on them! ;)

 **Paulagato-** Not sure if Lory will tell Kuon everything since Kuon would not really believe him, but Kuon will _eventually_ learn what exactly happened though not from Lory. I'm glad you enjoyed last chapter, and I hope this chapter was also funny as well!

 **Ivy401-** Kyoko's demons are fun to play around with while writing! And I had always wanted to see her use them on Ren/Kuon since in canon she never has. Kuon will eventually recover his memory, but it'll be a while before that happens... Thank you for your kind review!

 **Guest-** I'm glad you enjoyed their banter! There'll be lots more of that to come!

 **SockOompaloompa-** The drama this is based off of is amazing both visually and through its storytelling, not to mention the actors are all really good! If you have time, I would definitely recommend it! Thank you for your kind review, and I'm glad to have another reader!


	28. Chapter 28

**I hope you like this installment of _Love is Immortal_! This chapter is a bit Kyoko-centric since she's finally getting some answers as to what happened with Ren and encouragement!**

* * *

Lory was sitting in a boat, fishing on the clear and iridescent blue lake of LME that day when he was surprised by another boat joining him on the water. Usually he would expect Kuon or Maria to visit him, but he was surprised to see the Crown Princess and her daughter in the small rowboat.

"Good afternoon, High God," Kyoko smiled.

"I haven't seen you for a few hundreds of years, Mogami-kun. Is this Princess Mogami Hana?" Lory asked, smiling at the cute little girl.

"Yes. I am Princess Mogami Hana of the Sky Kingdom! It's nice to meet you, High God Takarada," Hana bowed her head politely, not wanting to stand and risk tipping the boat over. Lory couldn't help but chuckle under his breath in amusement at the little girl who had seemed to pick up her mother's overly polite tendencies.

"Is there a reason you've come to see me today, Crown Princess?" Lory wondered.

"I've yet to thank you for saving my life," Kyoko bowed her head. Lory nodded his head, taking his fishing rod out of the water and setting the rod down in his boat to give his full attention to Kyoko.

"I wasn't expecting you to thank me. Although I saved you 300 years ago, it was you who woke up even when you were disheartened with no will to live. Since you had no will to live before, I didn't expect a thank you, but it seems you've found something to live for now?"

"Yes. It was unwise of me to risk my own life like that before, especially when I had just given birth. I was disheartened at the time, but I was able to remember Hana and knew I needed to be there for her," Kyoko smiled, putting a hand on Hana's shoulder.

"I'm glad that you realized that. Is there any other reason why you came to see me today?" Lory wondered, knowing that there was a high probability that Kuon and Kyoko had met at the banquet.

"I have some questions about Hizuri Kuon, your godson," Kyoko replied, confirming his suspicions.

"Ah, have you met him? I didn't think either of you were interested in the other when the engagement was set 300 years ago. What questions do you have about him?" Lory asked enthusiastically, generally curious as to where this conversation would head.

"Is there a reason why he is so averse to bright lights? Did he injure his eyes previously?" Kyoko wondered.

"Yes, he did. 300 years ago, he underwent a trial to ascend to High God and returned injured and unconscious, both of his eyes missing. What's your next question?" Lory answered immediately. Kyoko widened her eyes in surprise at his eager willingness to answer her questions before continuing her line of questioning.

"Did he ever forget something?"

"Yes, he has. In the many years that he was in seclusion and undergoing his heavenly trial, there were many events that deeply saddened him, so he took an amnesia potion to forget about them. But how would you know about his memory loss? Is it possible you had something to do with it?" Lory challenged her to answer with a narrowing glance. Kyoko audibly gulped at the sudden seriousness to Lory's tone.

"Do you know exactly what kind of heavenly trial he went through 300 years ago?"

"I never heard any specifics, but from what I was able to learn before he decided to erase his memory of it, the experience was traumatizing enough that he never wanted to remember it again. Kuon's gone through a copious amount of grief in his life, and it truly amazed and saddened me that he decided to take the memory potion since even in his darkest times before, he refused it. One has to wonder what that boy could have gone through that would cause him to want to forget everything that happened. I have a hunch, and I assume you do too, Crown Princess. I've never seen Kuon in that much pain, and I will not hesitate to protect him from reliving it. He told me that his heart was broken beyond repair, and I personally will see to it that the one who caused him such heartbreak doesn't come near him ever again," Lory narrowed his eyes menacingly at Kyoko. He needed to know what exactly happened 300 years ago, and he hoped that his menacing act sufficed to crack Kyoko under the pressure. Lory thought that he would have to pressure her more into revealing what had happened but gaped his mouth open as Kyoko went into a dogeza in the boat, shaking it back and forth dangerously at her sudden movement.

"I deeply apologize, High God! I should have protected Ren! It's entirely my fault that he had to experience so much pain at the Sky Palace, and I never should have let that stupid emotion override my common sense! He would never have gone through so much if I had never fallen in love with him! If you insist, I'll accept if you break off our engagement together. What I did was unforgivable, and even though I still love him, it doesn't make up for the torment that he went through because of me," Kyoko wailed. Lory sighed as he realized that his suspicions had been correct. At the beginning, he had believed that Kyoko had played with Kuon's heart and broke it, causing him to experience a heartbreak that ravaged his soul to such a degree that he chose to forget he ever fell in love in the first place. But hearing her apology now, it sounded like she had really loved him and still loved him to this day. It really had all been a misunderstanding.

"I believe that canceling the engagement is a drastic plan of action. I would only consider doing that as a last resort, but I'll allow the engagement to stand for now. If what you say is true, Mogami-kun, I hope you show him that you truly love him because it seems as if he believed you were in love with someone else before."

"What? Who would he have believed I was in love with? It was only ever him!"

"I believe you Mogami-kun since I saw how you acted around Ren when I visited the Sky Palace, but Kuon's never truly fallen in love before. He mistakenly believed that you were in love with someone else due to his inexperience. I should have followed my gut and not let him take that memory potion. Unfortunately, there's no way to get his memories back now that I know of. The only thing I can do for you two now is to let you build a new relationship with Kuon. But I warn you, Kuon is not the mortal you fell in love with. There's a possibility that you'll realize he's a completely different person, and you won't accept him because he's not the man you fell in love with," Lory explained.

"I lost him once, but I won't make that mistake again. Even though you say he's different, there has to be at least some part of him that's still the same, and I can learn to love whoever he is now," Kyoko assured him. Lory smirked at her determination.

"If you need to find him, he's probably returned to the Fairy Kingdom by now. Have you ever journeyed there before?"

"I haven't, but I should be able to find my way. Thank you for answering my questions, High God," Kyoko bowed her head. Lory bowed his head back at her as she rowed her boat back to shore, leaving Lory alone in the expanse of water with his own guilt eating away at him for inadvertently creating more problems for the couple than before.

...

"Mother, is this where Father lived for hundreds of thousands of years?" Hana asked, her eyes sparkling at the scenery of the Fairy Kingdom. It was as though the trees glistened with natural lights, and the light on the clear stream seemed to be dancing as it slowly trickled to the quaint palace in the middle of the picturesque landscape. Kyoko's eyes also shined as she went into a dreamland of her own, only waking up from her dream when she saw a man with spectacles approaching her. He immediately bowed to her. Hana and Kyoko bowed back as well.

"Good day, Your Highness," Yashiro greeted her.

"Good day to you too. I was wondering if Hizuri Kuon has returned to the Fairy Kingdom yet? I would like to speak with him."

"I'm sorry, but if you were wishing to speak to Kuon, he's not here right now," Yashiro apologized.

"I figured there was a chance he would hang back at the banquet for a while, but that's fine. Could I ask who you are?" Kyoko wondered.

"My name is Yashiro Yukihito. I'm Kuon's political advisor and assistant. You're welcome to stay here until he returns if you would like to, Your Highness."

"There are some matters I must attend to first, but I'll be leaving Hana here for now," Kyoko smiled, putting her hands on a smiling Hana's shoulders.

"Wh-what?! You're leaving the imperial princess here by herself?!" Yashiro asked, bewildered.

"I'm really easy to look after, Yashiro-san! I can even help around the palace if you need! Mother taught me how to cook simple dishes and set the table for meals. Please can I stay here? All I need is some yummy snacks and a few books that Father likes to read!" Hana smiled.

"I apologize, Princess Hana, but I've never ventured that much out of the Fairy Kingdom. I'm afraid I wouldn't know what your father likes to read," Yashiro apologized.

"High God Hizuri Kuon is my father. I can read what he likes to read," Hana giggled.

"Oh, you meant Kuon! My apologies. I thought you were speaking about your biological father, Princess. If you would like to get to know your future father better, then I would be happy to help you," Yashiro replied. Kyoko bowed to him in thanks, content that Hana would be fine staying there for a short period of time until she returned. Hopefully Kuon would be back by the time she was done with her little visit.

…

Kyoko teleported herself back to the Water Kingdom to the front of a gigantic palace shrouded in water lily leaves cascading down tall marble walls. Two guards were stationed at the front of the palace, but they bowed to her and sent a messenger inside to tell the inhabitants of Kyoko's arrival. Shortly after, the door was cracked open to reveal a plump raven-haired beauty.

"Kyoko? Is that really you?" Kanae asked. Kyoko smiled at her and ran to give her a hug, being careful not to squeeze too tightly around Kanae's pregnant belly. Kanae decided to accept the hug since it had been a while since she had last seen her friend.

"I see you're doing well, Moko-san! When are you expecting?" Kyoko asked excitedly.

"He'll be born in two more months. I can't believe how you fought a war with this thing stuck to you. I didn't even feel up to attending the banquet at the East Sea. But how have you been, Kyoko? I haven't seen you ever since…" Kanae began to say before trailing off, not knowing if it would sadden Kyoko if she mentioned what had happened 300 years ago.

"I know. I've missed you so much, Moko-san," Kyoko said sincerely. Kanae couldn't help but smile back and led Kyoko inside to her private quarters where they wouldn't be disturbed and could talk openly.

"Mo, I would never have expected you to be in this kind of mood ever again after seeing your state 300 years ago. What's happened since then?" Kanae wondered.

"I found him, Moko-san."

"What do you mean? Did the Soul-gathering Sheep Pillow work?"

"No, I really found him! It turns out that the reason why the Soul-gathering Sheep Pillow wasn't working was because Ren's soul was not destroyed. He only forgot about me," Kyoko explained.

"How is it possible that his soul was not destroyed after jumping off Korosu Terrace, especially since he was a mortal? If he was an immortal, then I would see a small chance of his soul surviving, but Ren clearly had a mortal aura."

"Ren was mortal, but Hizuri Kuon of the Fairy Kingdom isn't. His celestial aura was hidden when I met him in the mortal realm, and he's forgotten about me, but I've found him, Moko-san!" Kyoko smiled brightly.

"Hold on a second, are you telling me that Hizuri Kuon is your Ren? If what you're saying is true, then why did you two go through so much torment in the past for nothing?! If it was really Hizuri Kuon the whole time, you could have married him with the whole world congratulating you!" Kanae frowned.

"I'm still not sure why his powers and appearance were hidden back then, but you're right. Everything that he went through could have been avoided," Kyoko affirmed, tearing up as her guilt over what had happened 300 years ago surfaced again.

"Have you thought of asking High God Takarada Lory why he was in that state? He might know since he's Hizuri's godfather," Kanae suggested.

"I went to visit the High God just before I came here, but he was only able to tell me that Kuon had thought I didn't love him and chose to take a memory potion to forget about me," Kyoko sniffed, the tears falling down her face. She tried to wipe them away with her sleeve, but more tears immediately replaced those that had been wiped away.

"Mo, why would he think that? Everyone around you two could see how truly you loved each other in secret except for you two yourselves," Kanae grumbled.

"I don't know how Ren came to believe that, but all I can do now is try to get along with Kuon. I think he hates me though. He has a high regard for his job and was hostile towards me because of the rumors that I tried to escape my duties as Crown Princess by jumping off Korosu Terrace with Ren. What should I do, Moko-san?" Kyoko cried exasperatedly.

"Mo, all you have to do is be yourself and show him that the rumors aren't true. I know you truly care for your kingdom. You're lucky that you're getting another chance to fix things. He can't truly hate you. Who knows, maybe he'll even regain his memories one day," Kanae soothed her.

"But what if he hates me forever, and I can never change his opinion of me?"

"I don't think that's possible. He'll see the true you in time," Kanae assured her. Kyoko smiled at her, glad that she had a friend like Kanae to help her through these situations.

"Thank you for the advice. I should probably go now though, Moko-san. Kuon might be back at the Fairy Kingdom by now, and I have to get a start on fixing this whole mess," Kyoko said, throwing herself onto Kanae one more time in a hug before getting up to leave. Kanae returned the hug, hopeful that Kyoko would get her happy ending this time.

* * *

 **Thank you for all of your support on this story!**

 **Ivy401-** I'm glad you're looking forward to my releases! Thank you for always being a huge supporter!

 **Erza-** Now both Kyoko and Lory know another part of the truth of what really happened. I'm happy you liked the Kuon and Hana moment because we're going to have lots more of those cute father-daughter moments! Thanks for reviewing!

 **H-Nala-** I agree. To be a fan of Skip Beat! you must have an extreme amount of patience. I can't tell you an exact number of chapters remaining, but there's still at least 10-15 chapters since we have some conflicts to solve. This is just a prediction based on the pacing though that I've decided so far and a flimsy outline that I have in my mind XD. Thank you for your review!

 **Paulagato-** Hana is very honest and hopeful, and we'll have lots more father-daughter moments in the future. After talking with Lory and Kanae this chapter, Kyoko's determined to fall in love again with Kuon and to try to get him to love her back! And Kuon will see the statues and dolls of himself as Ren eventually ;). Thank you for your review!


	29. Chapter 29

**Please forgive me for updating late! I've been extremely busy, but I wanted to update this chapter as soon as I could! In this chapter we finally see some Kyoko and Kuon interaction, and a certain fanboy's teasing comments...**

* * *

Kuon had teleported himself to Goraku Mountain after his talk with Kyoko, hoping that he could have some solitude there. The gates were closed, as they had been since Master Rick had passed, but Kuon pushed on the gates which easily gave way. He walked along the familiar paths and unconsciously gripped his wrist tightly. It seemed like it was only yesterday that he had been training here with Rick, even though it had been more than 70,000 years since then. Kuon held his breath as he entered his favorite spot of the mountain, Rick's lotus pond. It was filled with dead lotuses now since no one had been around to take care of the place, but as Kuon circled around the pond, he hoped beyond all hope that somehow he could catch a glimpse of his friend, the golden lotus, still alive and well.

But in the end, it was hopeless. He had killed the lotus by mistake after all when Rick died. Nothing could bring it back, and Kuon was left feeling more lonely than before. He seldomly made a connection with someone, the closest person to him at the moment being Yashiro, and Kuon swore to keep it that way. It was his fault that all this had happened to Rick. He wouldn't let himself be forgiven. He wouldn't let himself have the happiness that he took away from Rick. Kuon took a seat on the edge of the pond, staring into the dead pool of lotuses with his guilty conscience eating away at him.

…

When Kuon finally returned to the Fairy Kingdom, he was surprised to see Hana suddenly run out from the Fairy Kingdom Palace and barrel into him to give him a hug. Yashiro followed behind a few moments later, out of breath from chasing the speedy Hana.

"Father! Why did you lie before about returning to the Sky Palace with us?" Hana asked. Kuon looked at Yashiro incredulously. Why was the little girl here?

"I apologize for not informing you, Kuon, but the Crown Princess suddenly visited and left the little Princess here for me to take care of until she came back," Yashiro explained.

"Mother said that you don't want to return with us to the Sky Palace, but that isn't a problem. Mother and I will just move here to live with you, Father! As long as Father is present, I can live anywhere! Especially somewhere as magical as the Fairy Kingdom!" Hana smiled.

"You're moving here along with your mother?" Kuon asked with a slightly surprised expression, though in reality, he was extremely taken aback by her sudden declaration.

"It's common for Crown Royalty to move into their future spouse's kingdom for a while before the wedding, Kuon," Yashiro assured him.

"She's probably only coming to give me a hard time," Kuon sighed.

"Did you anger the Crown Princess at the banquet, Kuon?"

"I accidentally stepped in-between a private conversation she was having with her friend's husband. I may have not apologized enough for my interference, so she's probably come to demand further apology," Kuon frowned.

"Is that so? I didn't know the Crown Princess was so persistent on making people apologize to her like that. Well, anyways, she left the young Princess here while she left to take care of some matters, and we have a huge problem. I don't know how to feed her! She's already eaten through most of the palace's supply of snacks! It's almost like her stomach is the size of your father's! What are we supposed to do?" Yashiro worried.

"If we've run out of food, then let's just head out to the local market to buy some more ingredients and cook a meal," Kuon suggested.

"What would you like to eat, Princess Hana?" Kuon asked.

"Anything that Father likes to eat!" Hana smiled.

"Then let's go to the market," Kuon smiled back unconsciously, the little girl just being too cute that his anger at the situation dissipated slightly.

…

When Kyoko returned to the Fairy Kingdom, she arrived to find only the servants in the palace. They informed her that Yashiro, Kuon, and Hana had gone to the market to buy some ingredients for a meal, and she asked if she could use the kitchen. The servants couldn't deny her request due to her status, so Kyoko was able to gain access into the Fairy Kingdom's enormous kitchen to cook a meal for everyone as the ingredients that Kuon bought were delivered to the palace.

Kyoko looked at a fish that had just arrived and sighed. It didn't seem to be the most fresh and of good quality, so Kyoko assumed that Kuon had probably just picked the most expensive ingredients. Nevertheless, food was food, and Kyoko set off to cook a large meal.

When Yashiro, Kuon, and Hana returned, they immediately smelled something delicious being cooked. Yashiro's mouth watered at the savory smell, and he wondered who could be using the kitchen. His questions were answered as Kyoko came out to put a steamed fish on the table. Kuon noticed her hair had been changed into a short pixie style and was auburn instead of the customary long black hair she had donned to the banquet. She was also wearing a beautiful light pink robe that made her seem more innocent and lively. It accentuated her pink cheeks perfectly and lit up her smile, but Kuon wondered why looking at her made him feel a strange sense of déjà vu.

"Wow! Crown Princess, this meal smells delicious! I'm glad that you were here to cook for the young princess because neither Kuon or I are the best cooks. Kuon might have burned down the kitchen if we let him in again," Yashiro snorted.

"Yashiro-san, there's no need to let our guest know about that incident," Kuon smiled brightly. Yashiro knew he had angered Kuon, but he only turned to smile at Kyoko, trying to ignore Kuon's anger.

"Thank you for your praise, Yashiro-san. Let me just go get the rest of the dishes and then we can start eating," Kyoko smiled awkwardly, also aware at Kuon's anger from Yashiro's comment.

"Start eating? You made a meal for all of us?" Kuon wondered, his anger temporarily dissipating at his surprise.

"I hope it wasn't presumptuous of me to assume that you two haven't eaten yet either. I'll be right back!" Kyoko exclaimed, running back into the kitchen to grab some more dishes as the rest sat down at the wooden table in the dining room of the palace. Once Kyoko had put everything on the table, the group said thanks for the food before settling down to eat. As Yashiro put a piece of fish into his mouth, he couldn't help his satisfied smile and pleasant moan as he tasted it.

"Mmmmm! Your cooking is delicious, Crown Princess," Yashiro exclaimed. Kyoko blushed at his praise and picked up her chopsticks to start to eat her rice as well. She darted her eyes over to Kuon and saw that he wasn't eating yet.

"Kuon, you have to try her cooking! It's amazing, and it would be rude to not eat something the Crown Princess herself made for you," Yashiro scolded him. Kuon sighed and used a soup ladle to give himself some of the soup Kyoko had made. As he swallowed a spoonful of the soup, he was surprised to find how pleasant it tasted even if he didn't feel hungry.

"Yashiro-san was right. Your cooking is spectacular. Your first husband must have been very glad to eat your cooking frequently," Kuon commented without thinking. Kyoko froze, and Kuon felt the change in atmosphere and realized he had said something out of place. From what he knew, her husband had died, and he had been inconsiderate to reopen an old wound of hers.

"He was like you. He didn't have a big appetite when I first met him, but he would always eat whatever I cooked and told me the same praises you did," Kyoko replied nostalgically, absentmindedly using her chopsticks to put more food in Hana's bowl which Hana graciously devoured. Yashiro coughed to relieve the tension in the air.

"So how long were you planning to visit the Fairy Kingdom for, Crown Princess?" Yashiro wondered.

"If it wouldn't be too difficult, I was wondering if you had an extra room available? I was thinking of staying here for a while," Kyoko replied. Kuon widened his eyes in shock.

"C-Certainly! I can go get a room ready right away!" Yashiro exclaimed. Kuon glared at him, and Yashiro smiled wickedly as he thought of a way in which to tease his friend.

"That is unless you would like to share Kuon's room? I could get a separate room for Princess Hana so that you two wouldn't be disturbed," Yashiro smirked.

Kyoko gaped her mouth open at Yashiro's suggestion, and sparkles started to radiate off of Kuon. "The Crown Princess will be fine sharing a room with her daughter, Yashiro-san."

…

Kuon glanced across the hall as Yashiro led Kyoko and Hana into a room. They thanked him graciously before retiring for the night. Yashiro caught his eye and approached him warily, not sure if Kuon was still angry from his teasing earlier.

"The Crown Princess asked if there was also a study available for her to handle official documents in. I allowed her the use of your mother's old study," Yashiro said, cautious of Kuon's anger.

"Did she say how long she was staying?"

"She didn't, but I'm afraid she'll stay for a while."

"Why would you say that, Yashiro-san?"

"It's said that when the Heavenly Empress before Empress Mogami was still a crown princess, her father arranged for the king of the Wind Kingdom to be her crown prince. Her father issued a decree to confine her in the Wind Kingdom's palace after hearing she was displeased about the marriage agreement. After a month living in the Wind Kingdom though, the prior Heavenly Empress fell in love with the Wind King and it became a wonderful love story," Yashiro smiled with a fan boyish grin.

"You think that's a wonderful story?" Kuon smiled back gentlemanly. Yashiro knew he was mad and wiped his smile off his face.

"Yes. I'm sorry, Kuon, but it's the Crown Princess's right to stay here in the Fairy Kingdom as long as she wants to," Yashiro apologized.

"I'm afraid we can't kick her out then," Kuon sighed.

"Would it really be so bad to get to know her? You _are_ going to marry her sooner or later," Yashiro wondered.

"I don't need to get to know her. Our marriage is strictly political. She already has an heir too. It's just another person sleeping next to me at night. I don't intend to attach any feelings to our political relationship together."

Yashiro shook his head and sighed. "Of course you would say that."

…

When Kuon woke up the next day, he exited his room at the sound of voices and followed the sound to see Kyoko at the door with someone. He walked closer and assumed that the man was a servant bringing over official documents for her to handle. As Kuon caught Kyoko's eye, she waved for him to come over.

"Corn! I want you to meet Ruto. He's a trusted servant of my palace, and he'll be delivering official documents here from time to time," Kyoko introduced him. She knew by the widening of Ruto's eyes

"Master? Is that you?" Ruto wondered.

"I think you're mistaken. Are you perhaps mistaking me for that mortal "Ren" as well?"

"My apologies, Your Majesty. Your appearance is very similar to my late master," Ruto bowed in apology.

"So I've heard," Kuon replied.

"Well I have a meeting to get to, so I'll see you sometime in the future," Kuon waved. As he walked out of earshot, Kyoko turned to Ruto.

"He looks almost identical to Ren, right?" Kyoko asked. Ruto nodded.

"I've learnt that there's a very high possibility that Kuon really is Ren. Somehow, his immortal aura and memories as Hizuri Kuon were masked, and after Ren jumped off Korosu Terrace, he became Kuon again and forgot about his life as Ren. I know you've been guilty all this time about what happened, but please don't be. Ren is alive and well," Kyoko assured him.

"Thank you for letting me know, Your Highness," Ruto bowed sincerely.

...

"You're saying that all her official documents are being sent to the Fairy Kingdom?!"

"Yes, Sho," Shoko affirmed.

"She only met that guy once at the East Sea! Why is she going to live with him now?!" Sho frowned in anger.

"Royals of the Fairy Kingdom are said to have appearances that seduce. I've also heard that they're able to use enchanting spells skillfully. I'm afraid that Hizuri Kuon might have enchanted the Crown Princess," Shoko worried.

"I had to do so much to finally get married to her, but just because Hizuri Kuon was born a prince of the Fairy Kingdom, he was able to just take the position of her main husband! It's not fair! That entitled immortal needs to be taught a lesson that he can't just have anything he wants just because of his status!" Sho fumed.

"You're right, Sho, but you can't just go up to him and start a fight. Hizuri Kuon's a king of the Fairy Kingdom. He's highly respected and was personally selected by the Heavenly Empress to marry the Crown Princess. You won't gain any benefit by entering into a conflict with him," Shoko warned him.

"Empress Mogami won't let Kyoko break the engagement after Kotonami-san ran off with that Water Kingdom prince, but we might be able to get Hizuri-bastard to cancel the engagement himself. He doesn't love Kyoko and is a king of the Fairy Kingdom. If he finds the relationship confining and uncomfortable, then he might cancel the engagement, and she'll come running back to me after her heart's broken again," Sho smirked.

"Shoko, go to the Fairy Kingdom now and pass on a message to Hizuri-bastard that the Sky Kingdom has rules. He might have an engagement to Kyoko, but they're not married yet, and it's inappropriate of them to spend all day together and lie with each other. Weaken his authority," Sho ordered her with an evil grin.

"Yes. I will go tell him now," Shoko bowed.

* * *

 **Leave it to Sho to be an annoying little parasite that keeps trying to ruin our budding couple's relationship. Sigh.**

 **H-Nala-** Who knows? Maybe a conversation like that will take place in the future, or maybe he'll happen upon the statue if he visits the Sky Palace ;).

 **Paulagato-** He doesn't consider that falling in love with her is a possibility yet, but that shall change soon! If there's one thing I love, it's a happy ending after our couple had to go through difficult trials to be together!

 **Ivy401-** Thank you for such kind praise of my writing abilities! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

 **Erza Tsuruga-** Kuon did see Hana when he returned! And now that Kyoko and Hana are moving in, he'll be seeing a lot more of the both of them! It's been almost a week since your comment and the newest chapter is even already out, but yes I did see last chapter! When Ren gave her the flower ring, I was so happy and thought that this was finally a step in the right direction! It crushed me when Kyoko said he was despicable, but I do understand where she's coming from, especially after Kimiko flaunted that ring in her face. Hopefully we see more Ren and Kyoko interaction soon, but I heard that the newest chapter is about Director Kuresaki instead. Sigh. I love Skip Beat! but I want some progress between our couple!


	30. Chapter 30

Shoko stood outside the Fairy Kingdom's palace and told the guards to alert Hizuri Kuon of her presence as a messenger of Sho. In a few moments, a bespectacled man who she knew was definitely not Kuon opened the door.

"Excuse me, but are you looking for Kuon?" Yashiro wondered.

"I am. I work for Consort Sho, the Crown Princess's first and only consort as of now. I need to pass on a message to Hizuri-san."

"He's in a meeting right now, so if anything is the matter, you can tell me," Yashiro lied as he crossed his arms. Kuon was actually just eating breakfast with the Crown Princess, but Yashiro could tell that it wasn't wise to allow this servant to ruin their time together.

"My master wanted to remind Hizuri-san that he and the Crown Princess have yet to be wed in ceremony and that it is unacceptable for them by the Sky Kingdom's rules to spend all day together and lie with each other at night," Shoko said. Yashiro gasped at her implications. The nerve of that consort to assume such things!

"The Fairy Kingdom doesn't have as many involved rules as the Sky Kingdom, and I'm afraid that your assumptions about the Crown Princess and Kuon's relationship are false. The Crown Princess stays in a guest room with her daughter and handles official documents most of the day, sending her daughter to study with her tutor, while Kuon performs his duties as king of the Fairy Kingdom separately. And anyways, why is it anyone's business what the two of them do? They're engaged, and Kuon is going to be the Crown Princess's _main_ consort," Yashiro smiled coldly.

"If that's the only message you had, then I think we're done here," Yashiro smiled, closing the door before Shoko could make a rebuttal. She sighed. Sho wouldn't be happy about this.

As Yashiro closed the door with a smile on his face, Kuon came up to him with a questioning expression.

"Yashiro-san, who was that just now?" Kuon wondered.

"Consort Fuwa Sho from the Sky Palace sent someone to urge Kyoko-chan to return to the Sky Palace. I got rid of her though," Yashiro smiled.

"Fuwa Sho? Isn't he Mogami-san's side consort?"

"Yes. He insinuated some unpleasant things like how you and Kyoko-chan had yet to be wed in ceremony and are with each other all day and lie with each other at night," Yashiro scoffed.

"Ah. He's actually right to worry in some regard. I should ask the Crown Princess how much longer she intends to stay here," Kuon said, walking back to the dining room to find Kyoko alone clearing the table. Yashiro gaped his mouth at Kuon's response. He had expected Kuon to fight for his love, not give her away willingly! Yashiro quickly followed Kuon to Kyoko's study. Kuon opened the door rudely without knocking. Kyoko looked up from her papers.

"Your side consort sent a servant just now to ask you to return to the palace. She said some things that were reasonable about our relationship," Kuon explained.

"It must have been Shoko-san. What did she say?"

"She said that you and I are yet to be wed in ceremony but spend all day together and lie with each other. Although what she said isn't the truth, I think it is indeed a little inappropriate that you stay in my palace all day," Kuon said. Kyoko's mood darkened as she imagined Sho himself teasing and criticizing her for such a matter. Her demons basked in her angry aura, but she quickly tried to subdue her anger to respond to Kuon.

"I wanted to live here with you, so I came to live here. You're my future husband, and Hana already calls you Father. How is it any other people's business how much time we spend together?" Kyoko grumbled. A servant came up behind Yashiro and whispered something in his ear. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Kuon, it seems that Maria-chan has come for a surprise visit. I was just told that she barged in through the front door, so I'll go and try to stop her before she-"

"Kuon-sama!" A blonde blur ran past Yashiro and leapt onto Kuon.

"Maria-chan, I wasn't expecting to see you," Kuon chuckled. Kyoko wondered who the little girl was. She seemed to be only a little bit older than Hana. Maria herself wondered who the unfamiliar auburn-haired beauty could be, but she knew from the way that Kyoko looked at Kuon that she was trying to win his affections just like everyone else. Maria glared at her and started formulating a plan to shoo her away. However, when Kuon looked back at Maria, she smiled at him widely, her hostile aura nonexistent.

"Who's that, Kuon-sama?" Maria asked innocently, pointing to Kyoko.

"Maria-chan, this is the Crown Princess, Mogami Kyoko," Kuon replied. Maria widened her eyes in surprise. Everyone in the world knew that Kuon was engaged to the Crown Princess. Scaring her away would be a bit difficult, especially considering the guilt Maria felt at stealing the Soul-gathering Sheep Pillow from Kyoko before, but ultimately Maria found herself smiling wickedly as a plan came to mind of how to get rid of this girl.

"Kuon-sama, please protect me! She's here to take revenge on me for stealing the Soul-gathering Sheep Pillow even though I apologized before!" Maria wailed, sobbing into Kuon's robe. Kuon rubbed her back soothingly.

"Maria-chan, please don't cry. Mogami-san isn't here to hurt you-" Kuon started to say before Kyoko pulled on Maria's cheeks. Kuon gaped at her in horror.

"Mogami-san! What-"

"Little girl, do you really think that if you cry, someone will always come running to help you?" Kyoko smiled coldly at her. Maria trembled in fear at Kyoko's words. Kuon glared at Kyoko before comforting Maria.

"Don't mind her, Maria-chan. How about we go to the garden together to play?"

"Really?" Maria looked up at Kuon, sparkles in her eyes. He smiled at her and carried her off, not noticing the wicked grin Maria wore after speaking with Kyoko.

…

Hana sat on the floor of her room, playing with some of the dolls that Kyoko had made her. It was a favorite pastime of hers since there were few kids her age that she could play with in the palace.

"Mwahaha! My plan has worked! You only have one more option! You must jump!" Hana mocked Sho's voice as she played with the small devil Sho doll. She then picked up the Ren doll with a cloth over its eyes and made it jump off the bed. With her other hand, she quickly picked up the Kyoko doll.

"Nooo! I'll save you, Ren!" Hana mocked her mother, letting the Kyoko doll jump after Ren. Right before the Ren doll touched the ground, the Kyoko doll took hold on him and brought them both back to the top of the bed.

"How is this possible?!" The Sho doll exclaimed.

"Evil never wins!" Hana yelled, using one of the Kyoko doll's legs to kick the Sho doll off the bed. She was so into her scene that she didn't notice the door creaking open.

"Is that Kuon-sama?"

Hana looked up to see a blonde girl with gorgeous curls, not too much older than her.

"Yes! It's Father! Mother made me a doll of him so that I would always remember what he looked like!" Hana replied.

"But why does Kuon-sama have brown hair and brown eyes?" Maria wondered.

"My father was a mortal when he met Mother and looked a little different, but Father's also handsome as he is now!" Hana smiled.

"Hey, can I borrow one of the Kuon-sama dolls?" Maria asked.

"What for?"

"I want to put a curse on it to make Kuon-sama fall head over heels for me!" Maria giggled.

"I'm sorry, but I can't approve of your request. I want Father to fall in love with Mother so that we can be a family again," Hana looked down guiltily.

"Maria-chan!"

Maria turned around to see Kuon behind her. "Why did you leave the garden without telling me while we were playing hide and seek? I've been trying to find you for a while now."

"Kuon-sama, who's this girl? Why does she keep saying that you're her father?" Maria wondered.

"This is Princess Hana of the Sky Kingdom, Maria-chan. I'm engaged to her mother, so that's why she keeps calling me her father," Kuon explained.

"No! You really are my father!" Hana argued.

"Hana-chan, what were you playing with there?" Kuon wondered, picking up a doll of Kyoko.

"I was just playing with the dolls that Mother made me!" Hana exclaimed, showing Kuon the Ren doll in her hand. Kuon's eyes widened. The doll looked almost exactly like him, save for the hair and eye color.

"Is this Ren?"

"Yes, Father! Isn't Mother's handiwork amazing? It looks almost exactly like you do!" Hana smiled. Kuon smiled back politely. He finally understood why everyone was confusing him for Ren. The guy looked like his doppelgänger.

"Hana, are you ready to go yet? Your tutor has been waiting in the study!" Kyoko called out, coming into the room and raising an eyebrow at the multitude of people in it.

"Okay, Mother! I'll go right now!" Hana replied, getting up and exiting the room.

"Crown Princess, did you really make these dolls?" Maria wondered.

"I did."

"Wow! They're amazing! I'm so glad you're who I thought you were!" Maria exclaimed.

"Eh?"

"I've felt it ever since I met you. We're on the same wavelength," Maria smiled. Kuon looked between the two and wondered what Maria was referring to.

"I don't think I understand what's happening here," Kuon interjected.

"Crown Princess, please accept my dearest apologies for the previous trouble I caused when I stole the sheep pillow from you! Grandfather already apologized for me, but seeing you in person and realizing that I lied earlier about you trying to hurt me to ruin your relationship with Kuon-sama, I know I have to do so as well!" Maria exclaimed, grabbing Kyoko's hands in her own.

"M-Maria-chan, really it's fine. From what I heard from your grandfather, you were hoping to use the power from the pillow for good intentions," Kyoko replied. She stiffened as her words had the adverse effect with Maria's mood darkening even more.

"They weren't good intentions. It's my fault that mother died, so I needed to try to give her back what I took from her. It's the reason my father hates me," Maria muttered.

"Maria-chan, it's only that your father doesn't know how to get along with you. He feels happy when he gets to see you, but he must also feel a bit awkward. That's the way that you feel too when you see him though, right?" Kuon asked, trying to console her. Maria shook her head.

"Even if I feel that way, it doesn't guarantee that Father feels the same. He hates me," Maria frowned. Even her precious Kuon-sama was the same as other adults. Everyone only said things to her to give her false hope, not saying what they truly felt in their hearts. Kyoko empathized with the little girl but suddenly came up with a plan to show Maria that her father truly didn't hate her. It was risky, and Kuon might hate her for it, but that wasn't new. She would just have to try it and hope for the best results.

"Your Father loves you, he only has a hard time showing you," Kuon repeated.

"Even parents can hate their own children," Kyoko snorted. Kuon looked at her in shock while Maria froze.

"Surely you understand his attitude? He doesn't love you at all," Kyoko smirked coldly. Maria felt a sharp pain whiz to her heart, and she began to tear up. 'But it's only because I'm moved by her truthful words!' Maria thought. Kuon opened his mouth to refute what Kyoko had said, but Kyoko beat him to the chase.

"Your father must hate you," Kyoko repeated, sending another pang into Maria's heart. The tears fell down her face, and she frowned at Kyoko. Was Kyoko not who she thought she was? Here she was saying the truth to purposely hurt her. Maybe this is why others didn't tell her the truth.

"Y-you're wrong! Father hung up my painting in his office!" Maria cried instinctually, using words that others had told her for reasons why her father loved her.

"All military officials hang up paintings of their families in their offices. General Takarada is no different."

"H-he bought me a birthday present!"

"Kuon was probably the one who chose the present since your father doesn't know what you like," Kyoko answered. Maria glanced at Kuon for him to refute her argument, but he looked down guiltily at the truth being revealed.

"E-even now he sends me letters every day even though he's busy!"

"Don't all of them have the same content? That kind of letter only takes a few minutes to write since he can just copy what he's written before. He doesn't really take it seriously," Kyoko scoffed.

"That's not true! He might always start with the same phrase and ask me similar questions, but he makes sure to send me a letter every single day!" Maria cried out.

"How would you know that he actually sends them himself?!" Kyoko snapped back.

"The handwriting must be his! I just know it in my heart!" Maria affirmed.

"What do you know?! You and your father have probably never talked properly!" Kyoko exclaimed. Those words gave Maria pause. She thought of the various letters her father had sent her.

 _What are you learning with your tutor? What did you play today? Did you meet any new friends? Don't stay up too late! I hope that tomorrow will be a happy day for you..._

Did all of her father's letters have the same content because he doesn't know anything about her? She had always thought that it was her grandfather who forced him to write her the letters, so she never responded. She had thought that her father hated her in reality.

"How do you know how he feels about you?" Kyoko asked mockingly.

"I-I know because I'm the last few lines of his letters, he always writes 'I love you'!" Maria screamed. She slumped to the ground as she realized that it had been her who had put the barrier between her and her father. Kyoko put a gentle hand to her cheek.

"See? There. You have your answer, Maria-chan," Kyoko smiled, the hostility from earlier completely gone.

* * *

 **I really wanted to write an interaction between Hana and Maria, thus their meeting this chapter. I apologize if this chapter did not deliver that much new plot since it's very similar to canon, but it's crucial in establishing a part of Kyoko and Kuon's relationship since next chapter we'll see how Kuon reacts to what Kyoko tried to do this chapter. I promise that next chapter will finally feature Kyoko and Kuon's relationship dynamic! I'll see you all next week!**

 **panda00-** Kyoko will not die in this story. I didn't really like how the Crown Prince was brought back to life in the drama version, so I decided to scrap that whole storyline completely, especially since Kyoko doesn't have a secret twin. From here on out, there will be some similarities to the drama, but not as many as before since I'm not including the whole incident where they go to the mortal realm to help the Second Prince's son and any of the second lead storylines. My ending will be completely different from the drama, but I hope it is still enjoyable nonetheless. I'm glad you're enjoying the father-daughter interaction though, and Kuu will certainly meet his granddaughter in the coming chapters. Thank you for your review!

 **Ivy401-** Kuon is pretty indifferent to Sho's insinuations since he doesn't really care about Kyoko yet and only sees his relationship with her as political. That's the only reason that he wasn't that angered by Sho's comments. And we'll let grandfather meet grandchild in a few chapters ;). Thank you for your review!

 **Paulagato-** Unfortunately, Sho's comments didn't bring the couple closer together since Kuon doesn't really care, but he'll get his retribution for everything he's done soon enough. Thank you for reviewing!

 **brennakai-** Kyoko is definitely angry at Sho's insinuations, but she's trying to keep a level head and not give Sho so much control over her. She's more focused on trying to bridge her relationship with Kuon at the moment. Kuon wasn't that angry at Sho though since he believes that his comments had some sense in them as a side consort, and Kuon's indifferent to Kyoko and actually kinda wants her to leave him alone since he doesn't really like her that much with the rumors of her jumping off Korosu Terrace to escape her life and all that. Thank you for reviewing!


	31. Chapter 31

**I apologize for the wait, but I had to rewrite a scene multiple times to get it just right and as in character as possible. I really hope you enjoy this chapter, especially for those who have been waiting for some Kyoko and Kuon moments!**

* * *

"It's admirable how you were able to put what Maria did behind you and help her," Kuon remarked.

"She apologized sincerely. Someone once told me that when someone apologizes sincerely, there's no more need to be angry towards them," Kyoko smiled, remembering Ren's philosophy on forgiveness.

"Ah. That's pretty mature of you. I've never met someone to have the same ideology as I do regarding apologies. Most immortals my age aren't able to even display the same maturity you did in that situation. Though I was a bit worried at first that you were out for revenge when you were saying that Maria's father hated her," Kuon said.

"I've found that sometimes you need to be a little hostile to help someone realize what's in their heart if all else has failed. Maria-chan has been told by adults all this time that what happened wasn't her fault, but that only made her feel even more guilty. She just needed a different kind of push to get her to realize that she truly wasn't at fault."

Kyoko and Kuon watched as Maria skipped to them happily, holding a scroll in her hand.

"Onee-sama! Kuon-sama! Father's letter was just delivered!" Maria exclaimed. Kyoko was at first taken aback by Maria's new name for her, but she smiled warmly at the affectionate address after the shock. If she had ever had a little sister, she would have probably hoped for one like Maria.

"Have you figured out what you want to write back yet?" Kyoko asked.

"Actually, Onee-sama, I wanted to ask for your advice," Maria said shyly.

"What do you usually talk to your father about?" Maria wondered. Kuon widened his eyes and immediately turned to Kyoko to gauge her reaction. It was usually common knowledge that Empress Mogami had no husband and miraculously gave birth to the Crown Princess herself, but Maria had probably not learned modern day studies yet.

"Um, I actually don't have a father," Kyoko laughed awkwardly.

"Oh. Th-then what about your mother?" Maria asked innocently. Kyoko's mood instantly dropped, and Maria watched in horror as her onee-sama shrunk down on herself.

"I don't talk with my mother that much except when we discuss political affairs."

"Maria-chan, I'm sure that if you told your father you wanted to see him, he would take some time off work," Kuon offered in Kyoko's place.

"But I'm scared that my selfishness will cause him to have some kind of mishap like Mother..." Maria feared.

"Something like that won't happen, Maria-chan. You'll be hoping for your father's safety, and those feelings will be more than enough," Kyoko assured her, pushing the thoughts of Saena's treatment of her to the back of her mind for Maria's sake.

"T-thank you so much Onee-sama! And Kuon-sama too!" Maria bowed.

"Ah! I have to go write a reply letter right now so it can get to Father before he goes to bed!" Maria exclaimed as she waved goodbye to the two immortals. Both waved back and were left alone together in a heavy silence.

"Ah, well I think I'll retire to my room for the night," Kyoko broke the silence, quickly scurrying away before Kuon could say anything. He knew from her flushed expression and watery eyes that she was probably trying hard to keep her emotions in check right now. He wondered if it would be right for him to leave her in such a state as she was currently in. Sure he didn't really like the girl that much, but he couldn't leave her like this when she was obviously very hurt from remembering her relationship with her mother. Kuon followed her down the hall.

Kyoko didn't end up returning to her room in fear that Hana would be there. Instead, she scurried towards an open balcony and breathed in the fresh air to try steadying her frantic heart rate. She immediately pulled her two iridescent water sapphires that Ren had gotten them as a wedding present out of her robe and squeezed the stones in her hand, bringing them to her heart.

"It's okay, I'm alright," Kyoko muttered to herself repeatedly. She didn't notice through the chanting of her mantra when Kuon slowly opened the door to the balcony further to allow himself out.

"Mogami-san."

Kyoko jumped at the shock of Kuon's sudden appearance and threw her stones in the air. She blinked at him and then back down at her empty hands before realizing she had dropped her most precious items. She frantically turned her head to see where they had landed but only saw her own blue stone on the floor of the balcony and realized Ren's pendant must have been thrown off the balcony. Screaming and clasping the railing of the balcony, Kyoko heaved herself over the railing to jump off to find the stone, but Kuon immediately cast a wind spell to blow her back towards him. In his haste, he miscalculated the amount of force needed to pull her back, and she ended up being thrown on top of him. Kuon had the wind knocked out of him, but he was able to wrap his arms around her as she attempted to get up again.

"Mogami-san, please don't try jumping off the balcony. I'll send Yashiro-san to find whatever it is that you dropped. Here's one of them," Kuon said, picking one stone with the sad color off of the ground next to him. She immediately plucked the stone from his grasp.

"I need to find it. It's really important to me. When I was married to Ren in the mortal realm, he bought me the stone for our wedding present and I split it in half so that we could both share it. The pendant is the last thing he dropped before he jumped off Korosu Terrace! It's all I have left of him! I can't believe I lost such an important thing!" Kyoko wailed, no longer trying to escape from Kuon's arms in her sorrow. Kuon looked around before unwrapping his arms from Kyoko and walking to the balcony. He looked down to see if he could spot the item and a glimmer in a bush underneath caught his eye. Kuon reached his hand out towards it and caused the object to soar through the air towards him, landing in his open palm.

Immediately when he held the stone, Kuon felt an immense wave of sadness and longing wash over him, but he didn't understand why. It was as if he was experiencing a heartbreak from the mere act of touching the stone. He turned towards Kyoko and crouched down to where she was wailing on the floor despite the uncomfortable feelings from holding the stone. "Is this it?" Kuon asked, holding the pendant out to her. Kyoko's tears stopped, and she held her hands out so that Kuon could drop the pendant in her eager hands. She pressed the pendant to her cheek.

"Thank you. I'm really thankful that you found it," Kyoko smiled in relief. Kuon watched her heavenly smile in awe, his heart unconsciously starting to beat faster.

...

When she arrived back in the Sky Palace, Shoko bowed in front of Sho but didn't meet his gaze. He knew something was up right away and raised an eyebrow.

"I wasn't able to deliver your message since Hizuri Kuon's assistant stopped me before I could even speak with Hizuri Kuon. I'm sorry," Shoko apologized. Sho scowled at that king's nerve. Didn't he care that it was Fuwa Sho, the Crown Princess's only consort, that had sent him the message?

"He said that it doesn't matter what others think because Hizuri-san will be the Crown Princess's _main_ consort anyways! They didn't care that I was sent by you."

"No matter what, I was once an imperial consort. I was the first to be wed to Kyoko, and that Hizuri jerk dares to act like this to me, Fuwa Sho?!" Sho growled.

"I'll make sure Kyoko comes running back to me. She just needs a little reminder that she's being unfaithful to that mortal that died because of her. She'll come back to the Sky Palace for her mother's birthday banquet soon. I'll put my plan into action then," Sho smiled evilly. Shoko shuddered at his wickedness. She did not want to be on the receiving end of that.

…

Kuon looked out the window as rain poured onto the landscape of the picturesque Fairy Kingdom. It had been a few days since Maria had visited, and Kuon had been working almost nonstop to solve an agricultural crisis in the Fairy Kingdom since then. Today was a rare free day for Kuon without any meetings, but it seemed that since it was raining, he wouldn't be able to take a stroll around the kingdom that day like he had planned to.

"Father!"

Kuon turned to the hallway to see Hana running towards him. He found himself automatically holding his arms out for her, and she jumped into his arms to let him pick her up.

"Mother says that she's taking us to the mortal realm today to play!" Hana exclaimed.

"Today is a free day for both of us, and I heard it's not raining in the mortal realm today," Kyoko smiled, walking up behind Hana.

"Father, could you please come? I would be really happy if you came with us," Hana begged. One look at Hana melted Kuon's heart as her big doe eyes clouded his judgment.

"Wait for me to get changed," Kuon replied.

…

As the family walked down a market street in the mortal realm, Hana ran up to a stand selling steamed buns shaped like various animals. Her eyes locked into one of a little yellow chick.

"Father, could I have this?" Hana asked, pointing to the chick bun.

"Sure," Kuon replied, taking out a few coins to give to the store attendant. Hana smiled as the shopkeeper handed her the bun. After admiring the bun for a few seconds, the delicious aroma of the bun overtook Hana's senses. She took a bite and smiled at Kuon.

"Thank you for the bun, Father!" Hana exclaimed.

As Hana finished eating the bun, the family made their way into a small restaurant where Kyoko ordered all of Hana's favorite dishes. Although she and Hana began to eat once the dishes arrived, Kyoko noticed that Kuon wasn't eating. She sighed at his poor eating habits. Honestly, she should have expected this from him after seeing his small appetite as Ren.

"Even though we're immortals, we still experience hunger and need to eat to satiate that hunger. Kuon, won't you eat together with us?" Kyoko asked.

"I'm just not that hungry," Kuon replied with a polite smile. Kyoko turned her head to whisper in his ear.

" _The vegetables are very light. At least try for Hana?"_ Kyoko whispered. Kuon turned to see Hana who watched him expectantly. He sighed and picked up his chopsticks, smiling at Hana.

"Are these all your favorite dishes?" Kuon wondered. Hana nodded excitedly.

"Yes! Father, please eat!" Hana exclaimed. Kuon reluctantly put some of the vegetable dish into his bowl and started eating. Surprisingly, he found the dish easy to eat and not too heavy, just like Kyoko had said. He was about to ask her how she knew about his dislike for heavy food as the waitress came back and set a bottle of liquor on their table. Kyoko looked at her quizzically.

"Sorry, but we didn't order-"

"This is our restaurant's own house-made liquor. It's on the house. Please try it," The waitress smiled, smiling intently at Kuon.

"Thank you," Kuon replied politely. The waitress lingered for a few more seconds, expecting him to drink it, but she reluctantly left when she realized he wouldn't drink it until she left.

"And you say that I'm the one who needs to ward off suitors?" Kyoko smirked in amusement.

"She was bold. I would have thought she would notice that we came as a family," Kuon replied, pouring two glasses of the liquor for both of them. He pushed one glass towards Kyoko who immediately pushed it back.

"I don't drink. I've seen enough drunk immortals at banquets to know that I would never want to see myself drunk."

"I apologize for assuming that you drank," Kuon replied, throwing back his own glass. Kyoko widened her eyes as he exchanged his glass for her own and started drinking that too. Ren was never an alcoholic, but maybe Kuon was?

As Kuon finished his second glass, Ruto entered the restaurant. He walked up to their table and immediately bowed.

"Crown Princess. King Hizuri," Ruto greeted them.

"Deities from all around the world have gathered for the Empress's birthday feast. General Takarada requested to speak about urgent matters with you, Crown Princess. He mentioned that it had to do with the Ghost Kingdom," Ruto relayed. Usually, Kyoko would leave these talks to a more convenient time, but anything regarding the Ghost Kingdom warranted immediate urgency. There couldn't be a repeat of what happened 70,000 years ago at any cost.

"Keep Hana company. I have to return to the Sky Palace. I'll come back tonight," Kyoko told Kuon. He nodded, surprised that she was being serious towards her duties even with the rumors that she had no interest in becoming Empress. The rumors said she only became Crown Princess to escape from her mother's power, and ironically these rumors were partially true since Kyoko had indeed become Crown Princess to protect Ren from Saena's wrath. Kyoko walked off with Ruto, and the two teleported to the Sky Palace once out of sight of bystanders.

…

Kyoko walked into the palace meeting room and saw General Takarada Kouki waiting for her. She immediately sat down at the table with him and flicked her hand, a candle appearing on the desk in front of her. She had made mistakes in the past where she left Ren alone for too long in the mortal realm. She would not make the mistake again when she had been given a second chance so graciously with Kuon.

"I have urgent business in the mortal realm. When this candle goes out, I'll need to leave," Kyoko stated. Kouki nodded.

"Then I'll keep it short. It was discovered that Vie Ghoul escaped from their cell. Further analysis showed that the teleportation barrier around the cell had been breached, and the two guards stationed there had been killed by demonic magic. We presume that the escape must have been carried out by members of the Ghost Kingdom," Kouki said.

"What!?" Kyoko exclaimed in shock.

"We are unsure of who specifically aided in the escape, and Vie Ghoul's whereabouts are currently unknown. We worry that they are attempting to break out King Reino," Kouki added.

"General, station more guards at King Reino's prison in the Far Sea. Make sure that each guard stationed there goes through a daily identity check to make sure they are not being impersonated by demonic puppets. Put three more teleportation barriers outside the prison with different highly skilled immortals casting the barriers each time. Make sure you notify either me or my mother if anyone attempts to gain access inside," Kyoko ordered, looking over to the candle which had just burnt out. She waved her hand, and a cup of tea appeared in front of Kouki.

"I have to leave for a moment, but by the time you finish your cup of tea, I'll be back to discuss this with you in more detail," Kyoko said.

"Farewell, Crown Princess," Kouki said as Kyoko teleported away.

…

When Kyoko teleported back to the mortal realm to find Kuon and Hana, it was already nighttime, and they were strolling across a quaint bridge decorated with lanterns. She quickly caught up with them but was stopped when someone grabbed her shoulder. She turned to see a drunk ruffian smirking at her.

"Hey gorgeous, where are you going? I'm about to go get a meal. Why don't you come with me? It'll be my treat, and I'll pay for whatever we do after too," The drunkard smiled as he touched her shoulder. She flinched away from his grasp.

"Excuse me, I have to get to my fiancé," Kyoko said quickly, trying to walk away, but the drunkard grabbed her arm. She groaned in annoyance and prepared a spell to zap this pest out of existence when he wouldn't let go. However, he was flung off her before she could. Kyoko looked to see Kuon glaring daggers at the mortal. Before she could say anything, he grabbed her hand. "Let's go, Mogami-san."

The drunkard scampered up and took a knife out of its sheath from his robe, scowling at Kuon. The mortal began to lunge at Kuon before Kuon waved his hand and made the guy disappear into thin air.

"Where did you send him?" Kyoko wondered.

"I have no idea," Kuon replied before turning to her with a bright smile. "Why would you let him touch you like that instead of using your powers to send him away?"

"I was thinking of doing it, but you did it first. Anyways, he only touched me once or twice," Kyoko laughed it off. Kuon smiled even more brightly, and he wrapped his arm around her waist. Kyoko squeaked at the sudden closeness.

"K-Kuon, p-people are staring-" Kyoko started to stammer before Kuon brought his other hand to her cheek, using his thumb to ghost over her lips.

At the moment, he was feeling angrier than he should have been, which was probably linked to the liquor he drank earlier. It was almost like jealousy coursing through his veins, but Kuon quickly squashed that thought and reasoned that he was probably only angry because of how that man had treated a woman who he didn't know. Kyoko's tongue darted our to wet her lips nervously, drawing Kuon's attention to them. For the first time, he realized they looked extremely soft and wondered if they felt that way as well.

"Do you have lots of experience in kissing?" Kuon wondered.

"Uh, n-not that much? Wh-why?" Kyoko stuttered honestly. Hana gasped in realization of what was about to happen and covered her eyes with her hands in a giggle. Kuon smirked before closing the distance between them and pressing his lips to her own chastely. Kyoko widened her eyes at his sudden action, and she could taste the liquor on his breath, but just as quickly as he kissed her, he pulled back. She was left dazed and wondering if she had just hallucinated the kiss. Kuon smiled at her but was brought back to reality as he saw her erupt in a blush. He quickly thought of an excuse for why he had chosen to kiss her.

"This is why I was telling you before that you should have been more harsh on that guy earlier before he could have an opportunity. Since you say you're inexperienced, I just showed you how dangerous it is to let a stranger so close to you. You're lucky that I was the one to kiss you instead of that mortal," Kuon scolded her. Kyoko frowned in disappointment. So he had only kissed her for the sake of teaching her a lesson about being taken advantage of?

"Kuon-" Kyoko started to say before she was interrupted.

"Let's go find an inn to rest in," Kuon cut her off, taking Hana's hand to lead the way. Kyoko followed, wondering why he had chosen to kiss her to prove his point. Didn't he hate her? Could she hope that he was falling back in love with her? Why else would he kiss her? Had he been drunk?

* * *

 **Thank you for reading this chapter! I hope the characters weren't too OOC! A big thanks to everyone who reviewed this chapter!**

 **Ivy401-** Kuon was confused by Kyoko's actions initially, but he knows now that she only had good intentions the whole time when helping Maria. That's changed his opinion of her for the better :). Thank you for your kind review!

 **brennakai-** We haven't seen any Sho and Hana interaction yet, and for good reason! Mainly, Kyoko did not want Hana to ever associate Sho as a father figure since only Ren/Kuon can hold that station. Kyoko doesn't want Sho anywhere near her daughter, and the only things that Hana knows about Sho are from the biased opinion of Kyoko. I'm glad you liked the help that Kyoko gave Maria, and thank you for reviewing!

 **Paulagato-** I'm glad you liked how Yashiro told Shoko to leave. After so many chapters of seeing Ren suffer at Sho's hands, the pest is finally getting some retribution! Thanks for reviewing!

 **H-Nala-** If you're talking about an eating competition between Kuu and Hana, then I would be sad to say that Hana would surely lose. She's not fully grown yet, so her stomach isn't as humongous as her grandfather's is. But maybe when she grows older, she might be able to beat him! Thank you for your review and the hilarious images it put into my head XD.

 **Fanfichlover22-** I'm glad you're enjoying the story! Kuon might not remember everything yet, but that doesn't mean he won't fall in love again with Kyoko before learning of his past with her! Thanks for reviewing!

 **Erza-** Thank you for your kind review! I'm glad you're enjoying the story thus far!

 **melchormonica8-** I'm happy that you like the story so far! Kyoko and Kuon's relationship is definitely improving, but Kuon doesn't think he's in love with her yet. But they will have their happy ending eventually! Thanks for reviewing!

 **Guest-** Aww, thanks! I'm so excited that you like my story!


	32. Chapter 32

**Kyoko and Kuon's relationship is slowly developing. Let's see what this slightly longer than usual chapter has in store for them?**

* * *

Kyoko and Kuon checked into an inn for the night, but they were only able to book one room to share since the inn was booked solid. When they opened the door to the room, Hana ran in and jumped onto the large bed in a fit of giggles. Kyoko smiled at her daughter's antics.

"Mother, look at how huge this bed is compared to little me!" Hana exclaimed. Kyoko laughed, and Kuon immediately thought her laugh was adorable. But he quickly shoved those confusing thoughts out of his mind. Why was he recently thinking such things about her?

"Since there's only one bed, I'll take some extra sheets and make a bed on the floor so you two can take the bed," Kuon announced.

"There's no need. I'm not able to stay here tonight since I need to finish my meeting with General Takarada," Kyoko replied.

"Mother, when will you be back?" Hana wondered.

"I'm not sure, but Kuon can take you back to the Fairy Kingdom tomorrow morning, and I'll meet you both there," Kyoko responded. Hana smiled and gave her mother a hug.

"See you later, Mother!"

"Farewell," Kyoko said before teleporting away, leaving Kuon alone with Hana. Kouki had just finished his tea when Kyoko teleported back.

"You are indeed punctual, Crown Princess. I had exactly enough time to finish a cup of tea like you said," Kouki bowed. Kyoko immediately sat down and went straight into the main topic.

"Why would the Ghost Kingdom do this now after more than 70,000 years? They pledged allegiance to Heaven's alliance. Their leadership was turned into a triumvirate to ensure that no Ghost Kingdom leader would ever have too much unbridled power."

"There has been a change in power recently. The triumvirate was passed to Murasame-san, Manaka-san, and Konoe. I've known Konoe for a while since we trained together in our youth under the same master. He's content with Heaven's alliance and wouldn't be one to rebel, but I'm not sure about the other two. Konoe never seemed like the type to crave power, and he's a bit weak-willed at times, so I wouldn't be surprised if the other two were able to walk over him and arrange a rebellion," Kouki pondered.

"Murasame-san and Manaka-san might be leading the rebellion without help from Konoe-san, if what you say holds true. I will pay a visit to Konoe-san after my mother's birthday feast to gather more information. It might be possible to destroy the rebellion from within if Manaka-san and Murasame-san are leading it, and Konoe-san might have an idea as to where Vie Ghoul is hiding. Please keep this matter quiet for now," Kyoko said. Kouki nodded.

"I will. Thank you, Crown Princess. Not only for this matter, but also for helping me repair my relationship with my daughter, Maria," Kouki bowed.

"I'm glad that you two were able to solve your differences. Maria is really a sweet girl," Kyoko smiled.

"It's my fault that I haven't been there for her ever since Lina passed. I hope to take a small break to spend some time with her once this matter is solved," Kouki smiled.

"I think she would like that," Kyoko replied.

…

Kuon paced in the Fairy Kingdom's garden. He had entrusted Hana to Yashiro's care so that he could sort out his thoughts and have a bit of time away from Kyoko when she came back. That kiss earlier was on his mind. It had been extremely impulsive, and it was unlike him to do such a thing. Why did he do that? Was it because the alcohol lowered his inhibitions? Or was it because of the way the moonlight seemed to cascade her perfect figure and illuminate her mesmerizing golden eyes? Kuon sighed. Of course she was beautiful, but with the way he thought about her, it almost seemed as if he was attracted to her…

Kuon stopped pacing and groaned. Maybe if she was more dedicated to her kingdom then he might have actually fallen in love with her. She was kind and polite. She was gentle but strong on the inside. She was adorable and an excellent mother at such a young age. The only thing that gave him pause was again those rumors about Korosu Terrace and the fact that she had a side consort. Those facts seemed to clash with the Kyoko he had gotten to know, and he was beginning to wonder which one was the true Kyoko.

...

"Kyoko!"

Kyoko turned and frowned as she saw Sho coming towards her. She had just finished meeting with Takarada Kouki and discussing the matter of the Ghost Kingdom, but now she had this headache coming towards her. It was lucky that no one was around them to witness the wreck of a conversation they would have.

"What do you want, Shotaro? Come to lecture me again on lying with Kuon at night?" Kyoko scoffed, her grudges coming to life.

"Don't you think that you're betraying Ren by being with Hizuri? It's only been 300 years. I wouldn't have thought that you could forgive yourself so quickly for what happened."

"You don't get to lecture me on this! It's your fault that Ren's gone!" Kyoko yelled in anger.

"He only realized how horrible of a woman you were and took his own life to escape your clutches! And now you're betraying his memory by shacking up with that pretty boy Hizuri!" Sho yelled back.

"I'm not betraying Ren!" Kyoko shouted.

"But what would you do if you succumbed to Hizuri's charms? He's the type of man who has nonsense titles like "Most Handsome Immortal" or "Number One Bachelor". There's no reason a girl like you wouldn't throw yourself at his feet," Sho smiled haughtily.

"I will never stray from Ren!" Kyoko repeated.

"If you're so sure about that, then what would you intend to pay in forfeit if you can't? Just talking is something a child can do."

"If I ever strayed from Ren, then I would put an immortal seal on myself and live in the mortal realm for 60 years as punishment! But that would never happen!" Kyoko exclaimed in anger. Sho smiled. She was so easily duped. Kyoko turned to stomp away from Sho, but he grabbed her arm.

"Hey, we're not done talking yet," Sho growled.

" _I'm_ done talking with _you_ ," Kyoko glared at him, her grudges tightening around Sho's neck. He released her arm as his face started to turn purple from his lack of oxygen, and he clawed at his neck to remove whatever was choking him.

"You don't deserve to live after everything you've done, Shotaro. The only reasons I'm keeping you alive are one: because of that Soul-gathering Sheep Pillow, and two: you still have Ren's eyes in your sockets. If you die, then his eyes would die as well," Kyoko growled. Sho looked at her in shock.

"But even if you were to die, I could easily find a new owner for those eyes. And you don't deserve to just die either for all that you've done. I'll make sure you get the punishment you deserve, Shotaro," Kyoko smiled wickedly, sauntering away while her demons restricted Sho from following her.

…

Kyoko popped into her mother's banquet for a few moments to exchange pleasantries with other immortals. She had never really liked these gigantic banquets, and she decided that since many people had already seen her, they wouldn't notice if she was missing for the remainder of the banquet. Kyoko turned into a secluded hallway after talking with a princess from the Water Kingdom, and she teleported back to the Fairy Kingdom palace. When she entered, she saw Hana and Yashiro sitting at the dinner table in conversation. When Hana noticed her mother, she immediately stood up and ran to envelope Kyoko in a hug.

"Mother! You're back!" Hana exclaimed.

"I am. I hope I came back in time for dinner?"

"We haven't eaten dinner yet since Father and Yashiro-san can't cook. We ate fruits from the market while you were gone for both breakfast and lunch!" Hana exclaimed. Yashiro paled and immediately turned to Kyoko, hoping she wouldn't be angry at him and Kuon for Hana's lack of nutritious meals.

"I'll cook us dinner right away then," Kyoko replied with a smile. On her way to the kitchen, Kyoko kept her eye out for Kuon who she hadn't seen at the dinner table, but she didn't even catch a glimpse of him. What was even more weird was that he didn't come out for dinner when she was done preparing it. Only Yashiro, Hana, and Kyoko sat at the table that night. Once they had finished eating and cleaning up, Kyoko approached Yashiro to ask about Kuon's whereabouts. "Yashiro-san, do you know where Kuon is?"

"He wasn't feeling up to dinner. I think he's been in a bad mood recently. Ah, but maybe if you were to go talk with him, he might come and eat. I think that by being with you, his troubles might be relieved," Yashiro smiled, secretly hoping to give the couple some private time together.

"So you want me to let him bully me to relieve his stress?"

"What?! That's not it! Kuon doesn't get any pleasure from bullying you!" Yashiro assured her. Kyoko looked at him skeptically before sighing.

"If I can get him to have better eating habits, then I will go speak with him even if he tries to bully me. Do you know where he is?"

"I do! He's been pacing in the palace's garden and lotus pond since it's the most secluded spot in the palace. Follow me!" Yashiro exclaimed. He led her through the hallways to an ornate golden door. Various flowers and shrubs were carved into the door, and the handles themselves resembled vines. Kyoko opened the door and was astounded by the sight of the garden she stepped into.

As Kyoko stepped into the garden, she marveled at the walls of bushes covered in roses of all colors. When she looked up, the garden was illuminated by fireflies dancing around the greenery. Walking further into the garden, Kyoko saw a pond of lotuses in which tiny lights seemed to emanate from the water. A simple wooden bridge led the way across the pond to a small gazebo.

"Who tends to this garden?" Kyoko wondered.

"I do," Kuon responded, coming out from behind a rose bush and making both Kyoko and Yashiro jump. Kyoko smiled awkwardly at him. If she wasn't sure before, now she was sure that this was Ren. His hobby for tending to gardens carried over into his personality as an immortal.

"Kuon, the Crown Princess has requested to speak with you privately. I'll leave you two now to retire to my room. Good night," Yashiro lied before Kyoko could object. Once Kyoko and Kuon were alone, Kyoko went to sit on a small bench overlooking the lotus pond. She expected Kuon to follow her, but he only moved to admire the lotus pond, standing right next to the bench but not taking a seat.

"Yashiro-san said that you weren't feeling up to eating dinner. Is something wrong?" Kyoko began.

"I just didn't feel hungry. Yashiro worries too much," Kuon brushed it off.

"I think Yashiro-san is kind to worry about your wellbeing. Especially seeing as if you're unable to take care of yourself," Kyoko snorted. Kuon turned to her in shock.

"I am able to take care of myself!" Kuon exclaimed.

"If you were able to take care of yourself, then you wouldn't have others worrying over your eating habits, and you wouldn't be sulking around in the garden while everyone else was eating dinner," Kyoko replied. Kuon paled as he realized the truth to her words, but he turned away from her before she could catch a glimpse of his hurt pride.

"So you're worried about my eating habits as well?" Kuon wondered.

"Of course! It's not right for you to skip meals!" Kyoko exclaimed.

"Why do you care if I skip meals? Why do you keep hanging around me like this? You don't have to stay here. If you're here to make sure I don't plan to break off our engagement, I promise you I won't. You don't need to stay here any longer," Kuon frowned, but for some reason, he felt pained from saying such words to her.

"Do you hate me? Is that why you want me to leave?" Kyoko asked, tears forming in her eyes.

Kuon snapped his head around in shock at her sudden question. It took a few seconds for him to reply since he wasn't sure how to answer her question.

"I don't hate you, Crown Princess. I only dislike how negligent you are to your kingdom at times," Kuon responded.

"Tell me, Kuon, have you ever fallen in love?" Kyoko asked. Kuon nodded his head.

"I've had many girlfriends in the past. There were these two girls in my youth, one when I was training-" Kuon said as he counted off his fingers.

"I'm not asking about how many girlfriends you've had in the past. I'm wondering if you ever truly fell in love with any of them."

"I loved all the girls I dated before and treasured every one of them," Kuon responded.

"I see. You're probably the type of person who's kind to everyone without any distinctions. Well everyone except for me at least," Kyoko sighed.

"When love becomes serious, you lose your composure. It makes you focus solely on the person you love even if you have other duties," Kyoko explained.

"Are you the type of person to be blinded by love then, Crown Princess?" Kuon wondered.

"I am not blinded by love. When I grew up, I grew up in a home without any kind of love around me. My mother is the only Heavenly Empress to not have a main husband. I grew up without a father or any siblings, and my only friend as a child ended up using me for their own benefit. My mother despises love due to the same reasons you do. If you've ever heard the stories of her failed relationship with a general of the Ghost Kingdom, a man who went by the name of Misonoi Kazushi, who only used her to gain battle plans during the war 70,000 years ago, you'll know that she was devastated and vowed to never fall in love again afterwards. She thought that love made a person blind to their duties, and she even taught me to think like that as well. It wasn't until I fell in love myself that I realized that she was wrong. Love doesn't make you weak, Kuon, it makes you strong."

"Mogami-san-"

"Three hundred years ago, I fell in love with a mortal, and I tried to hide my relationship with him. But the Sky Palace eventually found out about us and imprisoned him in the Sky Palace. He went through many struggles in the Sky Palace, and I neglected him for my duties as Crown Princess since I wanted to make sure my mother would have no reason to torture him anymore. I had to do some horrible things to make sure he was kept alive, and I lost his trust in me. After Hana was born, he decided to jump off Korosu Terrace instead of spending any more time being tortured in my presence. I jumped after him to try to save him, but it was too late. I teleported myself out instead of letting myself die like he did. I saved myself for my daughter and my kingdom's sake, not my own. You don't know how badly I wanted it all to be over at that moment after I lost him, but I didn't follow through," Kyoko explained, her eyes tearing up as she remembered the pain she felt in that moment. Kuon widened his eyes in surprise at her emotional story and immediately went to sit next to her on the bench, giving her a handkerchief to dry her tears.

"I'm sorry, Crown Princess. It was insensitive of me to force you to draw up painful memories," Kuon apologized.

"I'm fine, really. I just wanted to make sure your views on me were not based on false rumors. You probably assumed like most people that I jumped off Korosu Terrace to escape my life as the Crown Princess, but no one even thinks to believe that I could love a mortal and would risk my life for him."

"I'm sorry for my assumptions about you before. I should never have believed in those rumors and acted so harshly towards you for them. I actually empathize with you a bit. When my master was killed, I wanted to sacrifice my own life since I believed that he deserved to live instead of me. When you care for a person deeply, it can lead you to make impulsive decisions," Kuon said, staring blankly at a spot on the ground. Kyoko grabbed his hands in her own, causing him to look her in the eye.

"Master Rick would have been sad to hear you say such things. If he sacrificed himself for you, then that means he wanted you to have a chance at a happy life."

Kuon and Kyoko found solace in each other's presence, the wounds from their past feeling less painful as they got them off their chests. Neither of them were perturbed by their hands being entwined as they sat in silence. Neither seemed to notice or care.

"I wanted to speak to you about what happened in the mortal realm earlier when you kissed me…" Kyoko said, breaking the silence.

"I apologize. It seems I took that lesson a bit too far," Kuon turned away from her, taking his hands out of her own, the moment broken after she introduced that uncomfortable topic. He got up to pace around the garden once again. Kyoko followed suit.

"That's the only reason it happened?" Kyoko wondered.

"I will admit that it's been a very long time since I've spent much time in the presence of anyone except for my parents and Yashiro-san. I stopped dating women even before I became engaged to you. It's been about 70,000 years I think? I might have been a bit lustful last night," Kuon admitted.

"L-Lustful?!" Kyoko stammered, her cheeks turning red. She shivered as Kuon's eyes turned darker, reminding her of Ren's 'Emperor of the Night' eyes. Kuon slowly approached her, and Kyoko found herself backing up unconsciously until she hit a wall, her heart pounding in her ears. Kuon put his hands on the wall on both sides of her, impeding her escape.

"Sometimes I find I'm unable to control myself around you, Mogami-san."

* * *

 **Cliffhanger! Dun dun dun!**

 **I know I usually try to update every week, but I originally wrote the next chapter earlier and now realize that I was moving things along way too quickly. We need a bit of time for Kuon to situate his feelings, so I will need to rewrite next chapter completely. I will try to update this fic in at least two weeks if not earlier if I can finish the chapter. Thank you to everyone following this fic!**

 **Paulagato-** Kuon will definitely visit the Sky Palace in the future, and there's a high probability that he'll see his statue. For everything that Reino, Sho, and Saena have done to break up our favorite couple, they will definitely get their retribution in the future.

 **Ivy401-** Kuon's jealous side is definitely showing, but he still doesn't understand why. He's slowly falling for Kyoko, and the kiss last chapter was an example of him losing his composure. Kyoko did return to finish her meeting with Kouki since she knows that Kuon would be angry at her if she neglected her job, and unfortunately nothing happened at the inn.

 **melchormonica8-** Kuon is more jealous than Ren is in the manga, and I'm trying to show his jealousy and possessiveness as Kuon as he slowly falls for Kyoko. We'll certainly see more of his jealousy in later chapters...

 **H-Nala-** I was basing angry Kuon off that one scene in canon where a group of men try to harass Setsu outside a store and Cain has to fight them since Kuon was slightly unleashed as Kuon fought off the ruffians. That's probably why he seems similar to Cain. I'm glad my segway worked with that kiss since Kyoko and Kuon's relationship is slowly progressing, especially with the events at the end of this chapter.

 **erza-** I do love reviews, and I hope you also drop a review on this chapter in the 1-2 weeks it'll take for me to update again lol.

 **Mani-** I'm glad you liked Hana's cuteness! There will be more of Hana's cute tendencies in other chapters, so look forward to those as well!


	33. Chapter 33

**Aha! It didn't take as long as I thought it would for me to update! Also, this fic has officially passed 100,000 words! I never thought it would be that long, but here we are! Thank you to all who have been reading from word #1. I hope you enjoy chapter 33 of _Love is Immortal!_**

* * *

Backed against the wall, Kyoko wondered if Kuon could hear how loudly her heart was beating. Kuon was even more seductive than Ren had been, but Kyoko still had a hard time distinguishing between the two. In her mind, they were one and the same. As his hand ghosted her chin, Kuon's alluring emerald eyes making her knees go wobbly.

"Ren…" Kyoko slipped without thinking. Kuon's face fell, and he took his hands off from her sides, hurt that she had fallen him by the wrong name. Kyoko wondered why the atmosphere had suddenly changed before realizing her mistake.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Kuon! I didn't mean to-"

"No worries, Crown Princess. I know how similar I look to your late husband. It's easy for you to confuse us," Kuon smiled. Kyoko froze at his gentleman smile, cursing herself for making such a mistake.

"It's getting late. I'm going to retire to my room. Good night, Crown Princess," Kuon said quickly, leaving before Kyoko could stop him. When he was gone, Kyoko mentally punched herself for making that mistake. All the progress she had made in her relationship with Kuon that night had been ruined by that single slip-up. She had hoped that Kuon's words earlier had meant he had fallen in love with her, but how could he love her when she constantly mistook him for another man (even though they were truly the same person)?

…

Kuon didn't know why he felt so angry. Recently, it was a common occurrence for people to mistake him for Ren, but Kyoko's slip aggravated him more than usual and made him question her motives for staying with him. Maybe she was only staying in the Fairy Kingdom with her daughter since Kuom reminded her of her late husband. From what she had said, it seemed like she still loved Ren. But why did he care so much about who she loved?!

When he was in these kinds of moods, he always went to LME to calm himself down. Lory had stressed it didn't matter how late it was if Kuon wanted to visit. When Kuon teleported there, he was thrust into the middle of a snow storm, a lone cabin with glowing nights illuminating the white landscape. How fitting of an atmosphere for his turbulent emotions.

Kuon trudged through the snow towards the cabin and made his way up the porch to knock on the door. After a few seconds, Lory opened it, dressed in an animal fur coat.

"Kuon! Come in, come in!" Lory exclaimed. Kuon entered the quaint cabin and took a seat on the couch in the small room. Lory pulled up an wooden stool across from him.

"So what did you come to visit for?" Lory wondered.

"I just needed a little distance tonight, that's all," Kuon replied.

"Distance? From the Crown Princess I presume?"

Kuon froze, and Lory knew he had guessed correctly.

"What did she do? Do you need me to cancel the engagement?" Lory asked. Kuon sighed.

"It's my fault that I'm acting like this. She only called me by the wrong name by mistake, and I took it way out of proportion," Kuon replied. Lory raised an eyebrow.

"So she accidentally called you 'Ren', and you're jealous that she places that mortal higher than you in her heart since you've fallen in love with her?" Lory speculated.

"I'm not in love with her, and I'm not jealous. I'm just worried that she's still hung over that mortal when he's not coming back," Kuon reasoned.

"Ah, so if she were to fall in love with someone else, could you happily give her your blessing?"

Kuon's face fell at Lory's words, but he covered up his face with his gentleman smile, although Lory had caught his slip. "Mogami-san is 90,000 younger than me. It would be inconsiderate of me to restrict her love life for a marriage agreement that was not decided by either of us," Kuon lied through his teeth.

"Kuon, you haven't dated anyone since Rick died. I know that anything you're saying is just an excuse to tell yourself you aren't in love with her, but you must suspect at least somewhat that love could be the reason why you're acting like this towards her. Why do you have to go to such lengths to deny it?" Lory frowned. Kuon clenched his wrist tightly.

"I told you already, Boss. I'm not in love with her," Kuon repeated.

"Stop lying to yourself, Kuon," Lory said. Kuon slumped his shoulders and held his wrist tighter.

"Boss, I don't deserve to fall in love with her. I stole the happiness that Rick was going to have with Tina. I can't afford to have anything precious to me."

"Kuon, you don't need to keep denying yourself happiness for Rick's sake. There's a reason he sacrificed himself for you. He wanted you to have a chance at a happy life. In reality, you're disrespecting his memory by not letting yourself experience happiness."

"She's 90,000 years younger than me," Kuon said, trying to use another excuse to reason that he wasn't in love.

"So? She's an adult. She has a daughter. She's been through a mountain of pain in her life. In some regards, she's probably even more mature than you are," Lory answered. Kuon put his head in his hands. In reality, Lory was right. Kuon has known what he felt when he kissed her back then and why he acted that way when she called him by the wrong name, but he wouldn't let himself admit that he had fallen in love with Mogami Kyoko.

"She's still in love with Ren. I stand no chance against him."

"If you try to pursue a romantic relationship with her, I assure you that you can win over her heart, Kuon. You have to give yourself more credit. There's a reason she's staying at the Fairy Kingdom, you know? Speaking of which, it's very late right now. I don't have enough room today for you to stay over, and I wonder if she's trying to find where you disappeared to right now," Lory said. Kuon nodded.

"I should get back. Good night, High God," Kuon said before teleporting away. Lory frowned in frustration after Kuon was gone. Oh how he wished he could be at the Fairy Kingdom to witness this love story unfold!

But only a few moments after Kuon teleported away, another knock sounded on Lory's door. He opened it up to an angry oya-baka. Lory snorted at the coincidence that both Hizuris would visit him on the same stormy winter night. But Lory knew exactly why Kuu had come to him so angrily.

"I'm assuming by your expression that you've heard the gossip about the Crown Princess staying in the palace of the Fairy Kingdom with Kuon," Lory smirked, having expected Kuu to visit him eventually about the matter.

"I thought you were going to protect Kuon! How could you let her get so close to him again?!" Kuu said angrily as Lory invited him in. Kuu plopped onto the couch in a fit of frustration.

"Have you ever met the Crown Princess?" Lory asked.

"I have, but what does that have to do with anything?!"

"You must have felt that she was very polite and sweet, correct?"

"Initially I did, but it must have been an act. She broke my Kuon's heart to the point that he chose to forget ever meeting her!" Kuu exclaimed.

"Are you sure that she intentionally broke his heart?"

Kuu turned to Lory and stared at him blankly, wondering if he was thinking straight. "What other explanation would there be for Kuon coming back in that sort of state!?"

"What if it was all a misunderstanding? Mogami-kun came to speak with me a while ago, and I could see that she still truly loved Ren. I still don't know the details, but I think Kuon was mistaken when he thought that she never loved him. The boy's never truly fallen in love before, so it's highly possible that he made a mistake due to his ignorance," Lory sighed.

"Are you sure she loves him?" Kuu asked. Lory nodded, and Kuu felt the need to flick his son in the forehead for his huge mistake.

"Then we ruined their relationship by letting Kuon take that memory potion!" Kuu frowned.

"I like to think we only made their love story even more interesting," Lory smiled.

"Interesting?!"

"I just spoke with Kuon earlier, and it seems he's fallen for her all over again."

"He has?! He sure moves quickly with her..." Kuu trailed off.

"Hey, Kuu, haven't you forgotten one little detail?" Lory asked, a sly smile on his face.

"What?"

"The Crown Princess has a daughter."

"I know. Princess Hana, right? She's one of the reasons why I wonder if the Crown Princess truly loved Kuon. If she did, then would she have had a child with that side consort?" Kuu wondered. Lory wanted to smack him upside the head.

"Princess Hana is not Consort Sho's child. Don't you know that she was born before Consort Sho and the Crown Princess were married? Have you even seen how the Crown Princess treats her side consort?" Lory grumbled.

"If she's not his child, then who's child is she?" Kuu asked.

"Do I really have to spell it out for you? The only person that could be Hana's father is Ren! She has Kuon's eyes and everything!" Lory sighed. Kuu blinked twice before realization dawned on him.

"Y-you mean I'm a grandparent?"

"Yes!"

"Lory, I can't believe you didn't tell me this before! It's been 300 years and I haven't doted on my granddaughter once!" Kuu complained.

"Then go visit her sometime in the Fairy Kingdom, you oya-baka!" Lory replied. Kuu grinned at him.

"Would I seem too eager if I visited now?" Kuu wondered.

"It's nighttime, Kuu. They're probably going to bed," Lory replied.

"Then I'll visit first thing tomorrow instead. Thank you for letting me know about my granddaughter, Lory," Kuu grinned before teleporting away. Lory pressed his fingers to his temples and massaged them. This family was really too clueless...

…

"Hey, Kyoko-chan, are you busy right now?" Yashiro asked as he entered the kitchen to see Kyoko finishing washing up some dishes.

"Not really. What do you need, Yashiro-san?" Kyoko wondered.

"The past king, Hizuri Kuu, is waiting at the entrance of the Fairy Kingdom Palace to see his son, but Kuon's in a meeting right now. I have to be at the meeting as well, so could I ask you to let him in and have lunch with him? We'll be back later tonight."

"Sure, Yashiro-san," Kyoko smiled.

"Thank you so much, Kyoko-chan!" Yashiro exclaimed, hurrying out to make it to Kuon's meeting on time. Kyoko walked over to the door of the palace and opened it, not expecting the throng of people outside. On both sides of the walkway, citizens of the Fairy Kingdom gushed over the celebrity waiting to be let in to the palace. Kuu was kindly talking with the common folk, and he was speaking with a mother of two children when Kyoko caught his eye. The crowd parted the way for him to approach her.

"Ah, h-hello," Kyoko greeted him nervously, knowing that everyone's eyes were trained on her.

"Good morning, Crown Princess," Kuu replied cordially. She laughed nervously and opened the way for him to step into the palace. Once the door was closed, Kuu smiled sincerely at her.

"Crown Princess. It's been a while. 300 years right? I almost didn't recognize you."

"Y-yes! I-It's nice to see you again, Hizuri-san! Kuon and Yashiro-san are in a meeting right now, so it'll just be you, me, and Hana for lunch since today is her break day from her tutor sessions," Kyoko said as Hana ran out of her room as she heard her name.

"Mother, who are we having lunch with?" Hana wondered. Kuu gaped his mouth at the cute little girl. She was the most adorable little girl he had ever seen! How could Lory have hid her from him for so long?!

"This is Hizuri Kuu," Kyoko introduced him.

"Is this Father's father?" Hana wondered. Kyoko nodded.

"Then are you my Grandfather Kuu?" Hana smiled adorably to him. Kuu couldn't help himself and scooped her up into his arms to give her a hug.

"Princess Hana, it's so nice to finally meet you!" Kuu exclaimed.

"I'm happy to finally meet Grandfather too…" Hana smiled, hugging him back.

"You're the most adorable little girl I've ever met!" Kuu smiled broadly.

"Of course! They say that daughters look like their fathers, and Father is the most handsome man in the Heavens! It's all thanks to Father!" Hana smiled. Kuu almost burst at the seams from his granddaughter's praise of his son. He picked her up and turned back to Kyoko.

"Is it lunchtime yet? I'm pretty hungry right now," Kuu said with a smile. Kyoko smiled back, happy that grandfather and granddaughter had finally met.

"Yes! I hope that I cook enough for all of us…"

Kyoko led Kuu to the dining room where he sat Hana in a chair next to him. She let them converse as she whipped up lunch in the kitchen. Having heard about Kuu's gigantic black hole of a stomach, Kyoko cooked him more than double what she usually cooked for Hana's portion in case. When she returned, she was carrying three pots of rice along with humongous portions of various dishes. It looked like the room could feed 75 men. They all said thanks for the meal before digging in, Kyoko the only one to eat a regularly sized portion of the meal. When they had finished eating literally everything, Kyoko told Hana to play while the adults cleaned up.

"Everything tasted so good. You must be a good mother," Kuu praised Kyoko as she washed the pots and pans. She smiled sadly.

"I don't know about that. Making sure that my daughter eats is not all that it takes to be a good mother."

"Well, love is most important, and I can see clearly that you love your daughter. All this time, you've had to take on the role of her mother and also her father, and that clearly shows how good of a mother you are to her," Kuu replied.

"By the way, how is your wife?" Kyoko asked, trying to change the topic.

"Julie?"

"Does she do any cooking?" Kyoko asked.

"Yeah, she cooks quite a lot, but her food is not for all tastes. When Kuon still lived under our roof, having meals with the family was very important to her. She'd stuff Kuon's mouth so full with food that he'd have trouble breathing whenever he didn't like it," Kuu chuckled. Kyoko gaped her mouth open. That was like torture! No wonder Kuon had such a small appetite!

"It's no wonder that he got teary eyed whenever food was mentioned. Since then, his smile gradually faded as he grew up. It's our fault as parents though. While we were so busy trying to run our kingdom, we failed to notice that we were causing him pain. Lory took him to Goraku Mountain when it became too much for him to handle, but when he came back, he was even worse since his master had just died. He was unable to move about or respond to us. Both I and my wife loved that boy from the bottom of our hearts and desperately wished for his sorrow to be gone after his master died, but we couldn't do anything about it. Even now, he still has scars from that experience," Kuu sighed.

"Whenever I see Kuon, there's always this hint of sadness in his eyes which he never had as Ren-" Kyoko mused before clapping her hands over her mouth.

"Well that answers my question on whether or not you knew that Ren is Kuon," Kuu said jokingly.

"H-Hizuri-san, I'm truly sorry for what happened to your son as a mortal in the Sky Palace. I never wished for him to go through any of that pain, but I was too young and inexperienced in love back then to know how to protect him. I understand if you want to cancel the engagement because of how much I hurt him in the past," Kyoko sighed sadly.

"Cancel the engagement? That would tear apart our family. I won't do that," Kuu responded.

"Now what's with this 'Hizuri-san'? You're getting married to my son. The least you can do is call me 'Father'," Kuu smiled.

"No, I couldn't do that. It's improper for me to," Kyoko argued before Kuu narrowed his eyes at her.

"If your father-in-law asks you to call him Father, will you really deny his only request?"

"O-of course not, F-fa-father!" Kyoko stammered. Kuu smiled sincerely at her address of him, and Kyoko realized that it was the same smile as Ren's brilliant smile. He must have gotten it from his father.

"Now, since we're done cleaning up, I think it's about time I get to know my daughter-in-law and granddaughter," Kuu smiled. Kyoko smiled back, and the two went to Hana's room to play together with her. Kyoko was truly happy that Hana had a grandfather in her life now. After 300 years of only having a mother, Hana's family was finally expanding to include others who loved her, and Kyoko couldn't be more excited.

* * *

 **I really do hope that my writing isn't all over the place and is decent enough for you all to enjoy. I usually only look over chapters once for edits before posting them, so there might be grammatical errors or story inconsistencies. I apologize for all the past chapters and all future chapters for this, but I don't have that much time to thoroughly edit chapters more than once every week. I usually like to spend my free time writing new chapters instead of editing old ones lol. I also never reread my author's notes, so hopefully they have all made sense thus far. I might go back to re-edit old fics one day, but it's a very low chance.**

 **I had a pretty difficult time writing this chapter after last chapter's cliffhanger since I didn't know where to go. Some of my earlier drafts included them kissing, but I quickly realized that it was progressing way too quickly for my liking and for the character's personalities. They still need to overcome some adversities to have their happily ever after, but I hope you stay with me for a little while more as their relationship blossoms.**

 **H-Nala** \- When I read your comment, I was confused for a second since I didn't think I had mentioned them going undercover quite yet, but it turns out you are spot on in your guess on what's about to happen lol. It'll still be a while until they go undercover, but look forward to that soon! Thank you for your review!

 **melchormonica8-** Unfortunately, their encounter probably didn't turn out as you had expected. We still have some hurdles we have to climb over to see Kyoko and Kuon solve their problems and be together again! Thanks for reviewing!

 **Erza-** I totally understand life getting in the way since it does for me too very often. I'm glad that you liked them holding hands and confiding in each other last chapter. Your comment made me smile the whole day knowing that I got you to think about that scene for your whole day lol. You were right when you predicted that they wouldn't kiss and Kuon wouldn't get his memories back, unfortunately. But even though it didn't happen in this chapter, there's still possibilities for chapters down the road... Thank you for taking the time to write me a review!

 **Paulagato-** They didn't end of kissing because of Kyoko's mistake, but Kuon's fallen in love with Kyoko. They both know they're in love with each other now, so a kiss scene like you're describing might happen very soon... Thanks for always reviewing my fic!

 **Guest-** I was a bit mean to leave such a cliffhanger, but a writer does what a writer's gotta do. Thanks for reviewing!

 **Ashenvale-** It was an intense cliffhanger last chapter. And this chapter probably didn't relieve your urges to punch your pillow. In fact, you might feel like punching it more now due to Kyoko's mistake which ruined the whole moment. Thanks for reviewing!

 **Fanfichlover22-** I tried my best to update as quickly as possible! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you for your review!


	34. Chapter 34

**Words cannot express how sorry I am for leaving you all without an update for so long. Writer's block paired with a busy life really takes a toll on an author. Well anyways, I'm back, and we've officially hit 10,000 views across all chapters in this story! I had no idea that this fic would become so long and popular when I first started writing it, but here we are today. Thank you to everyone who reads my updates, even those who ghost-read without accounts like I did when I first got into fanfic! I'm so happy to share my stories with you all! Here's chapter 34!**

* * *

 _"I thought today I would give you a special lesson, Kuon," Rick smirked, a chicken appearing in his hands. He placed it on the ground, and Kuon, being the animal lover that he was, immediately went to go feed it._

 _"Grow up strong, Brian!" Kuon encouraged the chicken._

 _"Don't raise it! That chicken is the weakness still inside you! Take the damn chicken and strangle it with your bare hands! Expel it along with the chicken inside you!" Rick ordered. Kuon looked into the innocent eyes of the chicken and held it closer, giving Rick a pitiful expression. Rick sighed._

 _"This isn't just an ordinary chicken, Kuon. It's a very powerful artifact. It was given to me by the first Heavenly Emperor himself. It has the power to control time, and if it fell into the wrong hands, then it could be dangerous. That's why I need to destroy it. Won't you help me?" Rick asked._

 _"But Rick, it never did anything to harm anyone..."_

 _"Kuon, kill the damn chicken!" Rick ordered._

 _"If you need to kill it, then why don't you do it yourself?!" Kuon snapped back._

 _"I'm not able to! I've already tried! The first Heavenly Emperor must have put a spell on it to ensure that I couldn't kill it! That's why I need you to do it! If this chicken fell into the wrong hands, then the world could be devastated!" Rick exclaimed. Kuon looked into the chicken's eyes again before placing it back on the ground. If one innocent life had to be traded for the lives of everyone in the world, he would just have to give in to Rick's request. Kuon gulped and shut his eyes tightly. When he opened them again, they shone in determination. A sword appeared in his hand, and he said sorry to Brian before bringing the sword over him. However, a magical forcefield stopped the blade from slicing into Brian right at the last second, shattering the blade into dust._

 _"Shit! The first Heavenly Emperor must have made it so that the chicken could never be killed by anyone!" Rick cursed. Kuon bent down to pick up the chicken, internally glad that it hadn't been killed by his blade._

 _"What should we do now?" Kuon wondered, still feeding the chicken._

 _"Since you've grown so fond of it, what about you hide it for me in your kingdom? Keep it as a pet, but don't let anyone know of its connection to me. When I die, power-hungry people might come to my tomb to try to find it. I think there's some scroll somewhere that talks about how the first Heavenly Emperor gave it to me as a present, but the scroll never mentioned that the artifact was a real chicken. In its place, I'm going to put this chicken-shaped rock. When someone touches it, Brian will go crazy, and you'll know someone's searching for the chicken. Whatever you do, do not let anyone know you have Brian. He's just a normal chicken, alright?" Rick explained. Kuon nodded in understanding._

 _"I'll keep Brian safe and sound," Kuon promised._

 _"I'm counting on you, Kuon."_

...

"Wow, Kuon. Representatives Tanaka-san and Sato-san seemed like they might jump over the table there to slit each other's throats. Their argument might have gotten out of hand if it wasn't for your help. It's good that the meeting finished early due to your skills in mediating," Yashiro commented as the pair entered the palace. Kuon smiled politely in response to Yashiro's praise, but he was internally shocked that Yashiro would commend his skills when he had been so distracted during the rest of the meeting. Now that he had stopped denying that he was in love with Kyoko, it seemed like she was always on his mind. How was she doing? Did she ever think of him during the day? Where was she? Did she love him? Was she still in love with Ren? These questions assaulted Kuon's mind and made him wish he had never realized his feelings for her.

Lost in his thoughts, Kuon and Yashiro walked past Kyoko and Hana's room, but Kuon doubled back in shock as he caught a glimpse of blonde hair. He gaped his mouth open as he recognized his father in the room. Yashiro had forgotten to inform him of his father's sudden visit.

"Dad?!" Kuon exclaimed in surprise as he watched his father piggyback Hana around the room with Kyoko giggling at their antics.

"Kuon! I was wondering when you would be back! I've decided that I'm going to go get Julie and stay here with you all a couple of days to get to know my daughter-in-law and granddaughter!" Kuu exclaimed. Kuon tried to avoid making eye contact with Kyoko as his heart began to quicken in her presence. He put on a polite gentleman smile, and Kyoko instantly became tense since she knew that he was angry.

"Hizuri-san, I'm sorry but we don't have any guest rooms available except for the one Kyoko and Hana are using at the moment. All the others haven't been used in thousands of years, and we would need to spend at least a full day to air them out and clean them," Yashiro apologized.

"That's only because you don't employ enough servants here. Kuon, why did you send off all your guards and maids? You had lots of servants while you were growing up, so it doesn't make sense to me why you only have Yashiro-san here to take on so many duties," Kuu pouted.

"I live frugally. I don't need countless servants pampering me, and I can take care of myself without the need for a guard. I trained on Goraku Mountain with the God of War after all," Kuon replied.

"But it's because of your lack of servants that spare rooms for your parents aren't available at the drop of a hat," Kuu frowned. He crossed his arms in mock anger before a mischievous idea came to mind.

"Hey, I have an idea. Since there's only one guest room available right now, how about if my daughter-in-law slept with Kuon while Hana, Julie, and I stayed in this room?" Kuu suggested with a sly smile. Kuon widened his eyes in shock at his father's suggestion and unconsciously turned his head to Kyoko, making eye contact with her. He instantly looked away like a nervous schoolboy and cleared his throat. Kyoko raised an eyebrow in questioning at his action.

"Father, what about you come back in a few days when a spare room is ready?" Kuon suggested, having turned completely away from Kyoko to avoid looking at her.

"But I want to spend time with my family as soon as possible!" Kuu complained.

"Um, i-if it's all right with you, Kuon, I would be fine with Father's suggestion for the few days that they stay here. It's not as if we won't sleep in the same room in the future anyways," Kyoko stuttered, wondering if maybe the reason why Kuon was acting this way was because he was still angry at her for calling him by the wrong name earlier.

"She's right! Then it's settled! I'll be back with Julie soon!" Kuu exclaimed before Kuon could argue, teleporting away to fetch his wife.

"I-I'll s-start on dinner then!" Kyoko squeaked, scurrying away. Hana smiled and followed her mother out of the room, thinking she might try and help her mother prepare dinner for the whole family. Hana was elated that she would be having a family dinner, and she would do anything to make it the family dinner of her dreams. Once they were alone, Yashiro smirked evilly at Kuon who sighed at his assistant's expression.

"What do you want to say to me, Yashiro-san?"

"You're going to be sleeping all alone with Kyoko-chan for a few nights. You better not do anything with her since your parents and Hana will be sleeping just down the hall," Yashiro teased.

"I promise you, nothing will happen between me and Mogami-san," Kuon glared at him before walking away to his room.

…

When Kuu teleported home, Julie was in the middle of perusing fabrics to use in her latest fashion collection. When she noticed he was back, she immediately stood up and dropped what she was working on to give him a kiss.

"Where did you go?" Julie asked.

"I went to go visit Kuon."

"Is he doing all right?"

"He seems fine. The Crown Princess and her daughter are there as well," Kuu replied.

"What?! Wasn't the Crown Princess the girl who hurt my Kuon so much that he chose to wipe his memory of her? Why haven't we cancel the engagement?!" Julie frowned.

"Julie, I spoke with Lory, and he said that all of that was a huge misunderstanding. Kuon must have thought that the Crown Princess didn't love him when he was a mortal, but I think she's truly in love with him after all," Kuu replied.

"How could she give him her heart if she has a side consort? Not to mention, she had a child with that side consort!" Julie fumed. Kuu nodded his head with a knowing smile.

"The Heavenly Empress bestowed the marriage upon her forcefully, and she hasn't recognized it formally to this day. I heard that Consort Sho doesn't even live in the same palace as her. Princess Hana is most definitely not that consort's daughter. She's-"

"Wait! Are you saying we've had a grandchild for 300 years, and I never knew?!" Julie interrupted him. Kuu nodded, and Julie immediately made a large basket appear in front of her. She started packing clothes inside, and Kuu smiled widely. She had always been quicker at figuring out these things than him.

"Did you already tell them I would be coming?" Julie asked.

"Of course, honey," Kuu replied, laughing to himself at how quickly Julie had seemed to understand the whole situation.

...

Julie met Kyoko and Hana with almost the same reaction as Kuu, immediately welcoming Kyoko into the family and hugging her newfound granddaughter. Kyoko felt her heart become warmer as the family shared dinner together, not used to such familial affection as the Hizuris had. It was also a bit surprising to have to cook such large amounts of food every meal, but it wasn't as if she couldn't handle it after raising Hana for so long. However, Kyoko couldn't help but glance over at Kuon from time to time and wonder why he wasn't engaging that much in the conversation. Time flew by, and soon it was time for bed. Kyoko instinctually went towards the guest room until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Kyoko immediately froze at the contact and turned around slowly to come face-to-face with Kuon.

"Mogami-san, my parents are sleeping in that room for the next few days," Kuon reminded her. His heart fluttered at her cute expression of realization.

"Oh, I forgot. I guess I'll follow you to your room then," Kyoko said shyly. She still wasn't sure how her relationship with Kuon stood at the moment. Was he still mad at her for calling him by the wrong name? Kuon, on the other hand, wondered if he would be able to last through the night with her right beside him. His newfound feelings were really making his relationship with her difficult at the moment.

When Kyoko walked into Kuon's room, she was astounded by the huge bed. It made sense for his height, but for tiny Kyoko, the bed was humongous. Kuon snapped his fingers to change into a silky night robe before pulling back the covers of the immaculate bed. He looked at Kyoko expectantly, and she poofed into her night attire as well. She slowly peeled back the covers opposite Kuon and slid into bed next to him stiffly, facing away from him.

"Mogami-san, are you sure you'll be able to sleep like that?" Kuon chuckled, some tension from his day being released at her comical form.

"A-are you still mad at me for last night?" Kyoko asked cautiously.

"Mad?"

"When I called you by the wrong name last night, you seemed really angry..." Kyoko elaborated. Kuon blinked a few times, trying to remember what had happened since it seemed so long ago. With the realization of his feelings taking over his every thought, Kuon had completely forgotten about what had triggered him to discover his feelings.

"It was a mistake. I wouldn't stay mad for such a small matter," Kuon replied.

"You weren't angry?!"

"I can't stay mad at you, Mogami-san," Kuon replied without thinking. Kyoko's heartbeat quickened, but she looked down guiltily as she remembered what she had caused to happen to him as a mortal.

"Are you sure about that? What if I did something unforgivable to you?" Kyoko asked. Kuon raised an eyebrow at her question, wondering what had brought it on.

"Mogami-san, I like to think that throughout all the time we've spent together recently, we've at least become friends. Unless you completely betrayed my trust, I would have no reason to stay mad at you as a friend."

"Y-you think of me as a friend?" Kyoko stammered. She turned to face him fully, and the two looked each other in the eyes for a moment before Kuon turned away from her. They were way too close for comfort, and now that Kuon knew he loved her, he didn't know if he would be able to control himself in such a situation.

"I do. Good night, Mogami-san," Kuon replied quickly. Kyoko stayed facing towards his back, wondering why he had turned away from her so suddenly. He had been acting a bit weird recently, and she wasn't sure why. Kyoko would have to question him more about it tomorrow.

After a while, Kuon's breathing became even, and Kyoko knew he had fallen asleep. The soft moonlight cascading in from the window illuminated his blonde hair, and Kyoko smiled softly. Now that he was asleep, she couldn't help but reach out her hand to touch his silky blonde strands of hair. They were as soft as she remembered. Kyoko closed her eyes with a content smile on her face, her hand splayed in Kuon's hair as she drifted off to sleep by his side.

…

"So how did you sleep last night?" Yashiro asked Kuon immediately as he exited his bedroom. Kuon's memory was brought back to finding Kyoko's hand splayed out in his hair that morning. He had carefully left the bed without waking her, a blush evident on his face afterwards. But Kuon wasn't going to tell Yashiro about that.

"Yashiro-san, that's nothing you should be concerned with," Kuon responded.

"Sleeping next to Kyoko-chan, you couldn't keep your hands to yourself, could you?" Yashiro teased again.

"Yashiro-san," Kuon plastered his gentlemanly smile on his face.

"Okay fine. I'll stop asking," Yashiro resigned.

 _..._

Kuon was seated in the palace's garden, many woodland creatures having come to relax in his presence. Two bluebirds sat on his shoulders, a rabbit in his lap, and Brian the chicken paraded around in front of them all. Kuon had always had this affinity for animals, and they had an affinity for him as well. It had been several tens of thousands of years since Brian the chicken had been entrusted to him that Kuon almost forgot that Brian was a magical artifact. He acted just like any normal chicken would.

This was how Kyoko found Kuon, and the sight of him was so adorable that she immediately pictured him as some woodland prince. She had come seeking him after their conversation the night before, hoping to speak to him further. He had been acting different recently, but maybe it was because of what he had told her last night? He thought of her as a friend, and that was huge progress, but Kyoko couldn't help but feel as if she didn't deserve his friendship. Would he still be friends with her even if he knew what she did?

"Kuon?" Kyoko broke the tranquil atmosphere, taking Kuon's attention away from his thoughts.

"What is it, Mogami-san?" Kuon wondered. He smiled softly at her without thinking, and she felt her knees go wobbly.

"Father just sent me to tell you that he and Mother took Hana to tour around the Fairy Kingdom," Kyoko relayed.

"Usually he would send Yashiro-san to inform me of these things. I'm sorry if he inconvenienced you, Mogami-san," Kuon apologized.

"No, it's fine. I actually wanted to speak with you," Kyoko said shyly. Kuon was about to reply, but suddenly, Brian began to squawk wildly, scaring away all the other woodland creatures around Kuon. Kuon widened his eyes, never having believed that this day would come. Someone had broken into Rick's tomb.

"Kuon, what's going on?" Kyoko asked, scared by the darkening gleam in his eyes.

"Master Rick," Kuon muttered cryptically before teleporting away. Kyoko was shocked at his sudden departure. Master Rick? Why did he suddenly teleport away? Had Kuon suddenly gone to visit his tomb? Kyoko ran inside to tell Yashiro that she was going out for a while before teleporting to the Eternal Graveyard where deities rested in eternal slumber in search of Kuon.

* * *

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Thank you to all who reviewed last chapter!**

 **PaulaGaTo-** The Hizuri family has enthusiastically accepted Kyoko into their family already after realizing that everything before had been a misunderstanding. But no one will tell Kuon that he is Ren just yet. It would be a bit weird for someone to suddenly tell you that you had lost your memory and been someone else.

 **brennakai-** Kuu is really the father figure that Kyoko needs in her life. He has a huge heart as you said, and he's willing to give her the love she didn't have while growing up. I'm always happy to write the Hizuri family accepting Kyoko into the family wholeheartedly in my fics. As for Kuon getting back some of his memories as Ren, we'll just have to wait and see. Kuon's a bit more concerned right now with someone breaking into Rick's tomb next chapter...

 **Erza-** I thought that I had explained it somewhere that Kuon lives simply without servants, but I guess I forgot to write it in, whoops! It had always been ingrained in my head that Kuon only had Yashiro as an aide and pretty much cared for himself, but now I realize I forgot to mention this important detail to the readers... Don't worry, your comment was not harsh whatsoever, and it helped me remember that I forgot to explain this detail, so thank you for pointing it out! Honestly, criticism with good intentions helps me as a writer! I'm glad you thought last chapter was cute! And I do keep up-to-date with canon every month. It pains me that there won't be a new chapter this month, especially with how little happened last chapter, but I'm stoked for January's chapter! With Ren and Sho meeting, I'm excited to see what happens!

 **H-Nala-** Kuon did miss lunch with Hana and Kuu, but he was definitely there during dinner to see their humongous appetites. Also, Hana is slowly gaining new family members in her life, and she couldn't be happier about it.

 **Ivy401-** Thank you for your compliments! I hope this chapter met your expectations!

 **Guest-** Thank you so much! Hope you liked this chapter!

 **sasusafan2357-** Ahhh, it's amazing to see someone who loves both Skip Beat! and 3L3W as much as I do! I'm glad you are liking how I'm tying the stories together! Most people reading have not seen 3L3W, so they wouldn't know how I swapped the genders of the leads and named Hana in the same way as A-Li, but I'm glad you've noticed all of this! You're right about the pain, argh. Even after rewatching 3L3W so many times, the scene where Bai Qian jumps off always gets to me. I have heard of Ashes of Love as well, and it's on my watch list! Just have to get the time to watch it! I'm definitely going to watch the 3L3W pillow book drama when it comes out! I've read part of the English translation for pillow book 1, but again, I just haven't had enough time to complete it. But I'm excited to see Bai Feng Jiu and Donghua Dijun together again! Maybe BQ and YH will also make a brief appearance, possibly with their actual wedding since that's how pillow book 1 starts off? I'm so excited to see it! I'm so glad you're liking this story!

 **Coolestbee-** Thank you so much! The original drama was what inspired me to write this fic, and I would definitely recommend watching it if you have the time! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	35. Chapter 35

**A little shorter than usual, but here's chapter 35! In case my plans for a special holiday-themed oneshot don't go as planned, I wish you all happy holidays!**

* * *

 _"You can't just tell us to stay here and do nothing! Don't forget that we're the ones who saved you!" Murasame frowned. Vie Ghoul didn't pay him any attention, still organizing their weapons for their upcoming theft._

 _"Heeyyy, what are you guys even trying to steal anyways?" Manaka wondered._

 _"There's stories that High God Rick was given a magical artifact by the Heavenly Creator that can freeze time for one minute every 100 years. Everything is frozen except for those who are holding onto the artifact as the spell is cast. Scrolls say that the artifact resembles a chicken and that the artifact probably resides in High God Rick's tomb to this day," Kiyora explained._

 _"I'm coming with you!" Murasame repeated._

 _"We're going to steal a magical chicken that can control time from a High God's tomb in plain sight. We're not even sure if the artifact really exists, but we're going to try to find it just in case. Do you two really want everyone to see you committing a crime in broad daylight?" Miroku smirked._

 _"He's right, Murasame-sannnn. We can't blow our cover just for some animal," Manaka nodded._

 _"Besides, you two still haven't found a mercenary to assassinate the royal family yet, right? What about you do that while we're gone?" Dasuku suggested. Murasame slumped down in his seat._

 _"Fine, but I don't know why we even need a mercenary. I could kill the Heavenly Empress and Crown Princess with my bare hands if I wanted to," Murasame grumbled._

 _"I'm sure you could, but we can't take any chances. I've heard that the Crown Princess is one of the best fighters in all of the Heavens. If you go down, then we'll have a smaller chance of reviving Reino," Shizuru reminded him._

 _"Just get the hell out of here already," Murasame frowned. Vie Ghoul collectively grinned and teleported away._

...

When Kuon arrived outside the Eternal Graveyard, he saw that the two guards usually stationed outside were nowhere to be seen. A sword appeared in his hand, and he began to tread carefully into the graveyard towards Rick's tomb.

Shizuru had been put on watch duty while the other members of Vie Ghoul looted Rick's tomb, and he blinked in confusion as he saw a lone figure approaching the tomb with a sword.

"Hey Dasuku, someone's coming..." He called into the tomb. Dasuku came up the stairs and squinted to see who was approaching.

"Isn't that Hizuri Kuon?" Dasuku wondered. Shizuru squinted at the figure and nodded.

"You're right! He was always High God Rick's most faithful disciple. He must have put some kind of spell on the tomb to alert him whenever someone entered. But look, he only has a sword in hand and I don't see any backup. I'll handle him easily," Shizuru smirked, a sword appearing in his hands as Kuon started sprinting towards them. Shizuru ran towards Kuon, meeting his blade with his own. Kuon smiled darkly, swiping his hand through the air to cast a gust of wind that knocked Shizuru back. Shizuru barely dodged Kuon's next slice with his sword. It looked like Kuon was a more formidable opponent than he had initially thought.

"Dasuku! Back me up!" Shizuru yelled. Dasuku groaned and launched himself towards the scuffle, a sword appearing in his hand. Having heard the fight, Miroku and Kiyora ran out of the tomb, a rock painted like a chicken in Miroku's hand. They armed themselves with swords as well and joined in on the attack.

Kuon turned to see three more people coming to attack him, and he quickly threw Shizuru off him right before Dasuku brought his blade above Kuon's head. Kuon blocked Dasuku's sword with his own, and he deftly flung Dasuku away from him, dodging both Kiyora and Miroku's next attacks. As he pushed them back however, a glint from Miroku's sword momentarily blinded Kuon. Kiyora noticed Kuon's hand go to cover his eyes and realized that he must be sensitive to light. He quickly cast a ball of light into the air, causing Kuon's silk eye protection to come over his eyes and impair his vision. However, even though he couldn't see as well, Kuon was still a skilled fighter, slicing into Dasuku's shoulder as Kuon dodged his attack. Dasuku let out a yelp of pain and stepped back, allowing Miroku and Kiyora to attack Kuon from the front. Kuon clashed swords with them both, fending off their attacks even though he was outnumbered and his sight was impaired.

When Kyoko teleported to the Eternal Graveyard, she noticed that the guards usually stationed there were gone. Kyoko ran into the graveyard to see a battle going on in front of Rick's tomb. She gasped as she saw that Kuon was outnumbered four to one and that they had cast a bright light into the battlefield due to Kuon's sensitive eyes. She quickly cast a spell to rid of the light, and Kuon's silk vanished from his eyes, but Miroku has materialized a dagger through thin air pointed right at Kuon's back.

"Kuon! Watch out!" Kyoko screamed. Kuon turned in time to see the dagger whizzing towards him, parrying to the right. However, the dagger still glazed his left arm, and he winced at the pain. At Kuon's moment of weakness, Kiyora and Miroku came back to attack him, and Kiyora was able to land a cut to his torso.

Kyoko ran up to assist him, two swords materializing in her hands. She immediately threw Kiyora and Miroku away from Kuon with her magic and locked swords with Dasuku and Shizuru, sending them flying backwards. Kyoko turned to see what state Kuon was in, and she saw that he was clutching his wound with his left hand with his sword in his right. Seeing her as a more formidable opponent as long as Kuon was down, Vie Ghoul all charged at her. Turning back to them and seeing a chance, Kyoko rushed at them with her swords and leapt into the air, spinning like a cyclone as all of Vie Ghoul were sent flying to the ground. Miroku was the first to scramble up and touched a finger to his face to see blood. How infuriating that this girl could inflict cuts on such skilled fighters as themselves! It wasn't worth it to keep fighting as long as they already had the artifact.

"Move out!" Miroku called out, teleporting away in a gray smoke. The rest of Vie Ghoul followed his lead before Kyoko or Kuon could stop them. Kyoko put her swords away and ran to Kuon's side.

"Kuon!" Kyoko exclaimed, widening her eyes at how bad the cut to his torso was. Since he was wearing black robes, it was difficult to see the blood, but Kyoko knew by the large darker black spot on his robe and his blood-stained left hand that the cut was worse than it seemed. He started to walk towards her, and she ran to him as he collapsed to the ground.

"CORN!" Kyoko cried out, slumping down next to him and clutching his hand in her own. As Kuon drifted out of consciousness, Kyoko teleported then back to the Fairy Kingdom.

...

When Kuon woke up, his robes had been changed for him, and he was lying down in bed. He tried to sit up but winced in pain as his injuries were still raw. He opened the front of his robe and touched his hand to the clean bandage over his cut. Hearing his vocalization of pain, a woman entered the room.

"Moga-" Kuon began to say before the woman turned the lights on, revealing a woman other than Kyoko.

"I'm sorry to come uninvited, Kuon, but after I heard about your injuries, I knew I had to visit. Do you feel any better?" The pretty older woman asked, sitting next to him on the bed.

"I feel better after sleeping…" Kuon replied, wondering why Kana-san was here. She had lived near Goraku Mountain when Kuon had been training there, and she had frequently visited to have dinner with the disciples. Everyone had always assumed she had lived near Goraku Mountain since she had an eye for Rick, so why was she suddenly here now?

"You were so hurt. That Crown Princess just returned to the Sky Palace and left Yashiro-san to tend to your injuries! I can't believe her. I don't think she can make you happy, Kuon. This is the first time since your training at Goraku Mountain that you've been this injured. I came to tell you before it's too late that I love you. I hid my feelings when you were engaged, but I can't anymore," The woman said before grabbing his robe to crash her lips onto his. Kuon widened his eyes in surprise, and neither noticed the girl who had been watching their exchange from the doorway. Kyoko put her head down as she entered the room with a tray of medicine in hand, and Kuon gently removed the woman from him as he saw Kyoko over her shoulder. He quickly cleared his throat and looked down guiltily. Had Kyoko seen that kiss?

"I'm honored for your feelings, Kana-san, but I'm afraid that I've been engaged to the Crown Princess for a while, and it wouldn't be proper etiquette for me to disregard that engagement," Kuon responded like a gentleman. The woman turned to see Kyoko and frowned. Having been noticed, Kyoko came over and set down the tray next to Kuon's bedside, taking the lid off of a bowl and placing a spoon inside.

"You only have to tell me whether you're willing to be with me or not," The woman urged Kuon, disregarding Kyoko's presence.

"I'm sorry, but I'm already engaged," Kuon repeated, his eyes darting over to Kyoko. The woman frowned and stormed out of the room. Kyoko immediately took her place on the bed next to Kuon. She placed the bowl of medicine into Kuon's hand. "Here, take some medicine," Kyoko said quietly. Kuon held the bowl in his hand, wondering what she was thinking after witnessing that kiss.

"I wouldn't want to restrict you from happiness just because of our engagement. I don't know who she was, but she said she knew you from your training at Goraku Mountain, so Yashiro-san let her in. I didn't know you two had such a history. If you love her, then-"

"I don't love her, Mogami-san. I don't intend on breaking our engagement," Kuon interrupted her. Kyoko looked at the full bowl of medicine in his hands and took his hand to place it on the spoon.

"Please take the medicine. It should speed up your healing process," She urged him. He nodded and took a few sips with the spoon before responding, knowing that she would be angry if he refused the medicine.

"How did you know where to find me?" Kuon wondered.

"You said something about Master Rick right before you left, so I assumed you went to go visit him at the Eternal Graveyard. I didn't expect Vie Ghoul to be there. How did you know they were robbing his tomb? Do you know what they were attempting to steal?" Kyoko asked.

"I do, but I made a promise to Master Rick. I'm sorry, but I can't explain it to you," Kuon apologized. Kyoko nodded in understanding.

"That's fine. I'm just glad you're okay now."

"How did I get back?"

"After they teleported away, you collapsed from your injuries. I teleported us back here, and Yashiro-san helped me bring you back to your room. Yashiro-san was the one to clean your wound while I was making arrangements for you to recuperate in the healing hot springs of the Sky Palace," Kyoko explained.

"The Sky Palace?"

"I'm sorry if I was being presumptuous, but I thought that you would be able to heal quicker if I allowed you use of the Sky Kingdom's famed, healing hot springs. Though, I'm afraid we can't stay in the same residence due to the rules of the Sky Kingdom, seeing as though we're unmarried...I already told Ruto to get the Hall of Radiance ready for your arrival," Kyoko explained.

"When are we departing? I wouldn't want to shorten my parents' visit..."

"Actually, I already spoke with them while you were resting. They said that your health was more important and that they would come to visit another time," Kyoko smiled.

"If all the preparations are set, then when are we leaving?" Kuon wondered.

"Whenever you feel up to moving around," Kyoko smiled encouragingly. Kuon slowly tried to stand up, and Kyoko immediately wrapped an arm around him to help him. He smiled softly at her kindness as she teleported them to the Sky Palace. When they arrived, Kuon was surprised at how few guards there were. Although he himself had few servants in the Fairy Kingdom, he had expected the Sky Palace to be filled with servants.

"Where are all the guards?" Kuon wondered.

"Today, my mother is holding a special sermon that most of the palace is attending. Furthermore, we're actually already inside my palace, and I don't have that many servants or guards, similar to you. I didn't want there to be a commotion as we entered, so only a few servants have been alerted of our arrival."

Kuon looked around the palace and found it to be more quaint than he had expected. He had expected the Sky Palace to be very opulent with their riches showcased everywhere, but Kyoko's palace was very minimalistic.

"It's pretty dim here," Kuon noted. Kyoko nodded her head.

"I had the servants cover the lights so that your eyes wouldn't be irritated while you were here," Kyoko replied. Kuon was touched by her concern for detail during his stay here. She led him towards the Hall of Radiance, and he marveled at the beautiful rose garden in front of the hall. Little did he know that a certain statue of Ren was missing, having been taken down not too long ago and hidden away so as not to scare him off.

"These roses are beautiful..."

"I'm glad you like them," Kyoko smiled, leading him into the hall itself. When Kuon walked across the threshold, he immediately felt a wave of unease wash over him. He was confused why the hall made him feel so uncomfortable, but he didn't want to say anything after the accommodations had already been arranged for him.

"I've arranged for Ruto to serve you while you're here," Kyoko said. Ruto bowed to Kuon, and Kuon smiled back politely, recognizing this servant from before.

"Father!"

Kuon looked to the doorway as Hana barreled in to give him a hug, but Kyoko grabbed her before she could tackle him.

"Hana, your father's here to heal from his injuries, remember? You can't be too rough with him," Kyoko chastised her.

"Oh! I'm sorry for forgetting and almost hurting you, Father!" Hana apologized in a bow.

"Ruto, could you lead Kuon to the hot springs and draw a private bath for him? Once he's done, you can bring him to my study," Kyoko requested. Ruto nodded and motioned for Kuon to follow him out of the hall. Kuon waved goodbye to Hana and Kyoko before following Ruto out of the Hall of Radiance.

"Mother, is Father going to stay here with us now?" Hana wondered.

"I hope he does," Kyoko smiled, picking Hana up and giving her a soft kiss on her cheek.

* * *

 **Yes, the woman who kissed Kuon in this chapter is the same one who stole a kiss from him when they went out for drinks with Kijima. Her name was only mentioned once in Act 262, and I re-edited this chapter to include her name since I only found it out after Guest reviewed.**

 **We're back in the Sky Palace for the next few chapters. Hopefully Kuon has a better experience here than he did last time as Ren...**

 **Thank you to all who reviewed last chapter!**

 **H-Nala-** Brian the Chicken is a bit of an unused character in Skip Beat! fanfics. I was glad to have the chance to bring him into this story!

 **Ivy401-** I'm glad you're enjoying my story! Happy holidays and a happy new year to you as well!

 **Guest-** I totally understand the greed. Whenever I read Skip Beat! updates, I always long for more and more. We can always hope for Kuon and Kyoko to have another child together, but it'll have to wait until they figure out each other's mutual feelings. I'm glad you liked sneaky Yashiro last chapter since I had lots of fun writing him. Happy holidays!

 **Erza-** It was depressing when I first learned that there wouldn't be an update this month, but I feel like next chapter will be very interesting with Sho and Ren meeting! Thank you again for pointing out my little mishap, and I'm glad my sly input of the detail last chapter worked out. The original drama is definitely worth watching, but I wrote this fic a bit differently than the original. For starters, I gender-swapped the main leads to better fit Skip Beat!'s characters, and I started my fic around episode 9 of the drama to skip over some long introduction bits. But I still recommend the original, and they did a beautiful job with certain heart-wrenching scenes! (namely Kuon jumping off Korosu terrace)

 **Paulagato-** I know! Kyoko had such a good opportunity to hug him while he was asleep! Too bad it was only one night since Kuon was injured. But she'll have another chance soon enough ;).


	36. Chapter 36

"Sho-chan! Mimori heard that the Crown Princess has returned to the palace! She brought along that Hizuri Kuon who's staying in the Hall of Radiance!" Mimori called into Sho's chambers. He immediately got out of bed and made himself presentable. When the servants opened the door for him, he was fuming with anger.

"What the hell?! She lied to me! She's totally fallen for that fairy! Why else would she let him stay where that mortal did?! I'm going to go knock some sense into her thick skull!" Sho yelled, trudging past Mimori to Kyoko's palace, despite Mimori's pleas for him to be more rational rather than storm in. When he arrived, he brushed past the sole guard in front of Kyoko's study to see her at a desk handling official documents. Although, for a while she had been staring into space instead of doing her work. Her mind was swamped with that scene between Kuon and that older woman. Although she knew it had meant nothing to him, seeing another woman kiss him...

Even if she had managed to hide her jealousy when Kuon was kissed, the emotion was tugging away at her soul every second she tried to send it out of her thoughts. Kyoko wondered just how many girlfriends Kuon had had in the past. Ever since she had seen Kana-san steal a kiss from him and confess her love for him, Kyoko couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. How many girls had he been with before meeting her as Ren? How did she compare to them? Maybe it was Ren's inexperience with women that had caused him to fall for someone like her. He would have probably chosen someone else that was more beautiful if he had his memories as Kuon. How could she fare against someone like Kana-san, a mature beauty who seemed to look so great together with Kuon...

She shouldn't have been so angry at something like this. What right did she have to feel possessive over Kuon? Every struggle that Ren had went through was her fault. She had caused him an insurmountable deal of pain. Was her engagement to Kuon really a second chance or was it torture? What if he never loved her again? Sure they would be married soon, but that wouldn't stop him from taking on as many concubines as he wanted. Every single day with him, she was reminded of her failure to protect Ren, and her jealousy was constantly increasing everyday she realized that there was a chance he would never fall in love with her again. Maybe this blessing was a curse in disguise.

"Oi! Kyoko, you lost our bet, so pay up!" Sho ordered, shaking Kyoko from her thoughts.

"What are you talking about?"

"You're letting Hizuri stay in the Hall of Radiance!"

"Yes? So what?" Kyoko wondered.

"Where the hell is he right now?! He's must be using some sort of aphrodisiac spell on you for you to lose all your common sense!" Sho fumed.

"Shotaro, I'm not under any spell!" Kyoko replied as a servant girl entered and bowed. Kyoko motioned for her to speak, ignoring Sho's face that reddened in frustration.

"Crown Princess, Princess Hana ran away from her tutor to visit the hot springs to see King Hizuri," The servant spoke.

"What?! Even your own daughter sees this Hizuri guy as her father?! You're both too blind to realize what kind of spell he's cast on you! I'm going to go force him to break it!" Sho yelled. The servant flinched at Sho's hostile tone of voice. As Sho teleported to the hot springs, Kyoko immediately teleported after him and grabbed his arm.

"I already told you! Hana and I are not under any sort of spell! You can't barge in there! Kuon is healing from his injuries!"

"You blind woman, get off me!" Sho yelled, trying to shake her arm off him.

Inside the hot springs, Ruto had just drawn up a bath for Kuon when Hana teleported in. Kuon's eyes widened in surprise, thankful he hadn't begun to unclothe yet like Ruto had suggested.

"Father! I'm here to relax in the hot spring with you!" Hana exclaimed.

"Princess Hana, did you run away from your studies to come here?" Ruto wondered, knowing her usual schedule. Hana blushed at having been caught.

"I-I'm sorry, but this is the first time Father has been in the Sky Palace! I wanted to spend time with him," Hana apologized, but her apology was cut short as the trio heard a shouting match going on outside. Ruto, recognizing the voices and sensing that this scene would not be very good for Hana to see, took the little girl's hand and teleported the two of them back to her tutor before Hana could see too much. Kuon went to the door and peered out to see two people quarreling with each other. Kuon recognized Kyoko but wondered who the blonde immortal arguing with her was. As he looked at the boy's eyes, Kuon couldn't help but think his eyes were very familiar...

"No! You can't just go around doing whatever you believe is right, Shotaro! Kuon is my guest and future husband, and I won't have you causing a scene!" Kyoko yelled.

"I said get off!" Sho shouted, bringing up a hand and slapping her across the face.

"Mogami-san!" Kuon exclaimed, coming to her side. Sho wondered who had interrupted his shouting match with Kyoko but froze in shock as he looked at the guy's face. It was as if he was seeing a ghost. This was impossible. That mortal was dead! He had jumped off Korosu Terrace. There was no way he could be alive after jumping off...

"W-who are you?" Sho backed away in shock.

"He's the future Heavenly Emperor, Hizuri Kuon," Kyoko replied, nursing her injured cheek and frowning at him. It seemed as if one of Sho's rings had caused a cut to her cheek.

"H-he's playing a trick on you! He must have changed his appearance to look like that mortal!" Sho exclaimed. Kuon narrowed his eyes at him.

"I assure you, I've looked like this my whole life. Who are you to question me?" Kuon frowned, not even trying to hide his anger with a smile.

"Fuwa Sho. I'm Kyoko's _only_ consort," Sho smirked, trying to ignore the fear he felt at Kuon's threatening aura to stand up to him.

"Fuwa-san? Well it's a shame your only good attribute is your eyes..." Kuon trailed off. Kyoko widened her eyes in surprise at his comment, and Sho felt as if a demon had come to make him atone for his past sins. Sho gaped his mouth in shock at his comment.

"Mogami-san, you seem to have been injured by this man. You told me that these hot springs could heal injuries, right? Do you want to get in the hot spring together?" Kuon smirked, pointedly at Sho. Sho turned red in anger at Kuon's implications, but pure Kyoko didn't understand them at all. "You're right! This small scratch should heal quickly if I take a short bath in the hot spring!" Kyoko replied innocently. Kuon grabbed her hand to lead her into the hot spring chamber, leaving Sho standing outside with his mouth gaping like a cod.

...

When they were behind the closed door of the hot spring, Kyoko realized why Sho had seemed so shocked by her and Kuon bathing together in the hot spring. She had forgotten that it was a rule in the Sky Kingdom to disrobe completely when bathing in the healing hot springs.

"Mogami-san?" Kuon asked, wondering why she had suddenly become stiff. He watched as her face erupted in a blush and wondered if she had just realized what he had tried to imply to Sho about their relationship. Saving her the embarrassment of having to explain her misunderstanding about his words, Kuon stepped into the hot spring, fully clothed.

"Didn't you say you would join me?" Kuon wondered. Kyoko realized Ruto must not have told him he needed to disrobe completely to use the hot spring and was thankful for his ignorance. She followed him into the hot spring in her robe and felt all her muscles instantly relax.

"Now I know why the Sky Palace's hot springs are renowned around the Heavens," Kuon remarked, instantly feeling at ease in the healthful water. His injuries became almost painless in the comforting hot spring.

"Your injuries should heal completely in a very short time due to the medicinal magic of this hot spring," Kyoko smiled. Kuon walked closer to her and grazed her red cheek gently with his hand.

"Are you all right after what he did?" Kuon asked in concern. Kyoko nodded and dunked herself in the hot spring completely for three seconds before coming back up. Kuon looked at her confusedly.

"All better!" Kyoko smiled, pointing to her cheek which was no longer red, the cut completely gone. Kuon chuckled at how adorable she was.

"Actually, since I'm already healed, I should let you disrobe so that the hot springs' healing aura is able to work directly on your injuries," Kyoko said, beginning to exit the bath; however, Kuon stopped her by grabbing her hand.

"You don't need to leave, Mogami-san. I thought you said we would bathe together to Fuwa-san? He might still be out there waiting to see you," Kuon asked, using his puppy dog eyes on her. She frowned at how easily manipulated she could be at the mercy of those eyes, and she sighed in defeat.

"Fine," She sighed, putting her hands on his chest to start undoing his robe. His eyes widened in alarm.

"Wh-"

"I need to make sure your injury heals, so I'm just going to undo the top part of your robe," Kyoko blushed, pushing the robe off his shoulders. She watched the fabric slowly fall off his shoulders and pool on the surface of the water, exposing his broad shoulders and muscles. She looked at his face to gauge his reaction to her forwardness and found him smiling heavenly at her. Her heartbeat accelerated, and she looked away from his face, sitting down on a bench in the water and reclining her head backwards to act like she was relaxing. Kuon chuckled softly at her cuteness and relaxed in the hot springs as well.

...

Sho returned to his quarters, his last interaction with Kyoko and Kuon plaguing his thoughts. Sho ungracefully stumbled up the steps to his room, and Shoko looked at him in concern.

"Sho?!"

"I finally know why Kyoko's so infatuated with that Hizuri..."

"What?"

"Shoko, he looks exactly like that mortal Ren! He didn't act like he remembered me, but he somehow knew about my eyes!" Sho exclaimed.

"Sho, what happened?" Shoko wondered.

"But there's no way Ren could have survived jumping off Korosu Terrace..." Sho mumbled, not answering her question.

"Sho, tell me what happened!" Shoko exclaimed, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him. He looked at her with a horror-filled expression.

"Ren's back. He's that high god, Hizuri Kuon," Sho replied finally, shaking Shoko off of him and going to sit down on his bed. Shoko followed him, as shocked as Sho by the revelation.

"The bastard's after Kyoko again. I got rid of him once, so I must be able to get rid of him a second time."

"Sho, if Hizuri Kuon really is Ren, I don't think it'll be as easy to get rid of him this time. He's already engaged to her..." Shoko trailed off.

"Just wait and see! He'll realize he has no place in her heart soon enough and leave just like he did last time!"

...

When Kuon went to sleep that day, he realized that he missed Kyoko's presence from the night before. The bed felt emptier without her next to him, but he luckily managed to fall asleep after a while. The next day after he had finished healing, Kuon was alerted of a visitor to the Hall of Radiance by Ruto. When he went outside to the porch, he saw Sho smirking at him with his maid next to him.

"Hizuri," Sho bowed his head formally. Kuon raised an eyebrow at his attitude change from the day before, but he was still angry that this man had hit Kyoko.

"Consort Fuwa, right?" Kuon smiled gentlemanly.

"I apologize for your first impression of me yesterday. Kyoko really knows how to rile me up, and I lost control of my emotions," Sho bowed. Kuon crossed his arms. Usually, he would accept someone's apology if they were being sincere, but he had a hunch that this immortal was only saying this to get on his good side. Sensing that Kuon wouldn't reply to him, Sho changed the subject.

"Did you know that this is where that mortal stayed while he lived in the heavens?" Sho asked, looking around at the Hall of Radiance.

"Did he?" Kuon replied mockingly, not falling for Sho's attempts to make him jealous.

"Yes. It's unfortunate what happened to Ren. Kyoko really loved him. I guess that's why she's so attached to you now since you look so similar to her dead lover," Sho smirked. Kuon frowned. Sho was clearly trying to insinuate that Kyoko was only being nice to him since he resembled Ren, but it would not work on him.

"And that's why you came to talk to me? You must have nothing better to do. I'm sorry, but whether it was for your amusement or to kill time, I have no intent of socializing with you. _Get out of my sight,_ " Kuon glared at him, retreating back into the Hall of Radiance and motioning for Ruto to close the door. Sho and Shoko stood, stunned at Kuon's open hostility. They realized he was definitely not going to fall for Sho's tricks so easily this time.

…

Ruto led Kuon to Kyoko's study after he had requested to meet with her. After meeting with Sho, Kuon needed her presence to soothe his anger.

"Mogami-san," Kuon said as he entered the study, alerting her to his entrance.

"Kuon. What brings you here?" Kyoko smiled at him, immediately setting down whatever she had been working on and standing up to approach him. Kuon smiled back at her, immediately feeling better.

"I was just thinking I should pay respects to your mother. She must have been wondering why I didn't greet her when I arrived yesterday," Kuon said. Kyoko's smile dropped.

"It doesn't matter. It makes no difference to her whether you do or not. We're already engaged," Kyoko replied.

"She's your mother. Of course it matters to her if her future son-in-law goes to greet her," Kuon replied. Kyoko froze, and Kuon turned to her to see why she had suddenly gone silent. He immediately crossed the distance between them to grab her hand, worried from her pale complexion and haunting eyes. "Mogami-san!"

"M-my mother really does not care. She doesn't care what I do or who I'm with as long as it doesn't make her look bad. I really do not wish for you to meet with her. Do you still need to see her?" Kyoko lied, fearing that her mother would try to ruin her engagement with Kuon if she knew who he truly was and that Kyoko was in love with him. Kuon knew that he would do anything to never see this much pain on her beautiful features again. If she didn't want him to meet with Saena, then he would honor her wish.

"No, I don't need to see her then," Kuon told her. Kyoko smiled in relief, but the fear was still not completely gone. Kuon noticed she was using a smile to cover up her emotions. He wanted to see her smile truly again.

"Mogami-san, come with me," Kuon said, taking her hand and teleporting them to the Hall of Radiance. He looked around the garden until he found a single rose that he had been eyeing as long as he had been in the Hall of Radiance. He carefully picked the rose and secretly placed a jewel in the center with his magic. He walked back over to Kyoko with the rose behind his back. She raised an eyebrow, wondering why he had brought her here.

"Mogami-san, ever since I saw it, I wanted to give you this," Kuon smiled softly, presenting the rose in his hands. Kyoko's eyes widened at the gigantic rose, and she smiled at his present. She gently outstretched her hand, placing it around his fingers around the rose. She looked into his eyes and blushed at the softness in them. The emotion in his eyes was almost like when Ren had been in love with her, but that wasn't possible. Kuon wasn't in love with her, right? She gingerly took the rose from him.

"It's amazing. Such a large rose, and so gorgeous. It's the first time I've seen one like this. She must be Queen of the Roses!" Kyoko smiled.

"Actually, I think this type of rose is actually called Queen Rosa," Kuon smiled back. Kyoko looked at him in questioning.

"There's a legend in the Fairy Kingdom that there was a queen as beautiful as a large blooming rose, so she was called Queen Rosa. She had a daughter who was a beautiful princess adored by everyone, so the girl was affectionately called Princess Rosa," Kuon explained. Kyoko looked at him with stars in her eyes, imagining the fairy tale in her mind.

"However one day, a tragedy happened. Princess Rosa was kidnapped and killed by people trying to hold her for ransom. Everyone was so devastated. Queen Rosa grieved the most and lay there crying everyday where the princess had passed away. Everyday she cried at her daughter's tragic death, until in the end, her life ended as well."

Kyoko had tears in her eyes at the tragic story, and Kuon handed her a handkerchief. She gently dabbed her tears away and motioned for him to continue his story.

"Where the queen died, a single rose bloomed with grace and dignity. It reminded the people of her, so they named it Queen Rosa. Some say that in the center of the blooming rose, there's a sleeping little girl who looks just like the princess. And that's the end of the legend," Kuon said. Kyoko looked down into the rose and saw a glimmer catch her eye. She raised an eyebrow and turned the rose upside down, a small tear-shaped crystal falling into her hand. _"Some say that in the center of the blooming rose, there's a sleeping little girl who looks just like the princess_... She widened her eyes in realization, and a huge smile came to her face.

"Kuon! Look! It's Princess Rosa from your legend!" Kyoko exclaimed. Kuon smiled at her excitement.

"Thank you so very, very much, Kuon! I mean it with all my heart!" Kyoko exclaimed, standing on her tiptoes to press a soft and quick kiss to his cheek. He stood, stunned, as she admired the rose in her hands. She didn't notice the blush that erupted on his cheeks as she gazed upon the rose and its crystal which he quickly tried to get rid of. When Kyoko turned back to him, she saw a radiant smile upon his face, and she wondered why he was smiling at her like that.

* * *

 ***stretches hands* That was so satisfying! Writing Sho's reaction to learning that Ren is actually all powerful High God Hizuri Kuon was really fun! This is just the beginning of that pest's comeuppance, don't you worry! We'll torture him more later for everything that he did... For now though, let's just smile at the blooming romance between Kyoko and Kuon.**

 **paulagato-** Still, no one has told Ren that they think he is Kuon. Those who care about him want to spare him the pain of his forgotten memories while people like Sho are scared that the knowledge will bite him in the butt later on since Kuon has lots more power now. But every now and then, Kuon is getting slight glimpses of his memories from his past self. Thank you for reviewing!

 **Guest-** I'm glad you are liking the progress! I hope this chapter was enjoyable! Thank you so much for helping me figure out the name of that older actress! I should have read more closely to find it while researching. At first, I looked on the wiki and it said that her name was something else which didn't seem right to me since I swore that it had said her name somewhere else in the manga! I thought it was further back than Act 262, so I must not have caught it! I went back and edited last chapter a bit to include her name thanks to your comment! Thank you for your help and for your review!

 **H-Nala-** In this AU, the name Corn doesn't have any special significance yet like it does in the manga, but Kyoko is beginning to use it as an affectionate name for him. He'll hear her call him by the name soon enough! Thanks for the review!

 **melchormonica8-** Kyoko is increasingly becoming jealous after seeing that kiss, but that just means that our couple is getting closer and closer to realizing their feelings for each other. I'm glad you liked the scene where Kuon told her he didn't want to cancel their engagement. Thank you for your review!


	37. Chapter 37

**Ahhh, I'm sorry for updating late again! I had a plot bunny stuck in my head that I needed to write about, so I put this fic on hold for an extra week. Luckily, the plot bunny has been satisfied, so I might post that oneshot soon. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this slightly longer chapter!**

 **Recap of last chapter since it might have been a while: Sho tried to get on Kuon's nerves, but he didn't succeed in making him jealous. Unlike Ren, Kuon knows that Sho is a trickster, and he won't fall for Sho's lies so easily this time. Afterwards, Kuon gave Kyoko Princess Rosa, and she thanked him with a sweet kiss on the cheek.**

* * *

"That Hizuri Kuon is not the same naïve mortal that Ren was," Sho commented with a frown as he and Shoko started the walk back to Sho's chambers. Shoko nodded in agreement.

"Ren used to act like a gentleman, but talking to this guy was like poking a beast. If you carelessly made him lose his temper, there's no telling what would happen..." Shoko trailed off.

"If Kyoko hangs around him so defenselessly, sooner or later she'll fall victim to him..." Sho said fearfully, promising himself that he would try to get this guy away from Kyoko as soon as possible.

"I have to tell my mother. Kyoko listens to her. She can convince Kyoko that she's making a mistake with this guy," Sho decided, earning an approving nod from Shoko.

...

Kuon touched his hand softly to the spot where Kyoko had kissed him with a smile . Although a kiss on the cheek didn't mean she loved him like he loved her, it sure raised his hopes up. She had left for her study soon after his gift to finish what she had previously been researching, but her brief presence had made him less angry after his confrontation with Sho. However, by remembering what had made him so angry in the first place, Sho's words came back to Kuon's mind and made him wonder if it was even possible for Kyoko to fall in love with him. Kuon already believed that Sho stood no chance for Kyoko's heart. The man was only full of delusions, and Kyoko seemed to hate him to the core. However, Sho had also taunted him by saying that Kyoko was only giving him special attention since he looked like her dead husband, and it wasn't as if Kuon didn't already consider this before in the back of his mind. Kuon had seen how deeply Kyoko had loved Ren on multiple occasions, and she had constantly confused him for her late husband when they first met. Kuon knew that Sho's words were only meant to make him feel insecure and that he shouldn't give them so much power over him. Unfortunately, that little green-eyed beast still creeped up Kuon's shoulder. In the end, Kuon decided that he would need more information about this mortal that Kyoko had fallen in love with to see if he stood a chance in her heart as well. Maybe Ruto would know more about Kyoko's past relationship with Ren. It was worth a try to ask him about it.

"Ruto, do you know exactly why Ren jumped off Korosu Terrace?" Kuon decided to ask at that moment as Ruto poured him a cup of tea. After Ruto had filled Kuon's tea cup, he placed the pot of tea down on the table and responded.

"Consort Sho manipulated my master into thinking that the Crown Princess didn't love him and made him believe that jumping off Korosu Terrace would bring him back to the mortal realm. Since the Crown Princess had tried to protect her mortal lover by acting as if she didn't love him in front of her mother, her behavior fueled my master's sorrows even more. Before my master jumped off Korosu Terrace, the consort feigned a conflict with my master above Korosu Terrace which resulted in the loss of Consort Sho's eyes. Believing Consort Sho's lies that my master had pushed him off, the Empress ruled that my master would give Consort Sho his eyes as punishment. The Crown Princess herself took his eyes, so he was heartbroken and felt betrayed by her. A few weeks after he lost his eyes, he jumped off Korosu Terrace since he thought he could return to the mortal realm and start a new life for himself," Ruto replied. After learning more about how Sho had manipulated Ren into jumping off Korosu Terrace, Kuon now hated Sho even more than he had before. What kind of horrible person would destroy another person's happiness for their own selfish reasons?!

"If Fuwa caused all of that, then why did Mogami-san marry him?" Kuon wondered, his eyes darkening in ire.

"The Crown Princess has never officially recognized the marriage. It was her mother who bestowed Consort Sho to her. The Crown Princess ran a sword through him on their wedding day," Ruto explained, a tiny smile on his lips at Sho's retribution. Kuon couldn't help but quirk his lips in amusement at Kyoko's reaction to the marriage. It served Sho right.

"Her relationship with Fuwa makes sense now, but after all these years is she still in love with Ren?"

"I can't say for certain, but I believe that she is a lot more joyful now than she was for the first 300 years after my master's passing. She might still love him, but I haven't seen her smile like she has recently except for when she's with you," Ruto replied honestly. Kuon wondered if it was really true that Kyoko smiled more around him specifically. Ruto had noticed it, and for some reason, Kuon felt as if Ruto was very trustworthy. He didn't know the exact reason why he trusted Ruto. It was almost as if Kuon had known the servant from a past life.

"If you have no further questions, I'll go make dinner for you, Master," Ruto bowed.

"There's no need. I'm going to visit Mogami-san and Princess Hana to have dinner together," Kuon decided. Ruto bowed again as Kuon teleported away to find Kyoko and her daughter.

...

"Mom, you have to persuade Kyoko to get rid of that man!" Sho proclaimed as he strode into his mother's quarters. Shoko hurried behind him, nodding her head in support. Yayoi set down the cup of tea she had been drinking and raised an eyebrow at her son.

"Sho? Who are you speaking about?" Yayoi wondered.

"It's that Hizuri Kuon that Kyoko snuck into the palace a few days ago so that he could "heal his injuries"! Even though they're not married, she gives him this special treatment! You must have heard about it! He looks exactly the same as that mortal from 300 years ago! I think she's fallen in love with him because they look similar!" Sho complained.

"What?!" Yayoi gaped her mouth, immediately standing up to find Kyoko and confront her about this. Sho followed behind her as she approached Kyoko's study. When the guards in front saw her, they immediately bowed and let them inside. Kyoko stretched her arms as she shifted the scroll she was reading to the side of her desk. She had been researching much about the Ghost Kingdom recently, especially information about the current leaders. It was very probable that Murasame-san and Manaka-chan were secretly attempting to revive King Reino from what she had read. They had been very loyal to the king in the war 70,000 years ago, although Konoe had been on the side of Heaven's Alliace. Having been so focused on her research, Kyoko almost fell off her chair in surprise as Yayoi burst into the room.

"Kyoko-chan, is it true? Does Hizuri Kuon really look similar to that Ren?" Yayoi asked immediately. Kyoko straightened herself in her seat and nodded slowly, looking over at Sho and wondering what he had told his mother.

"I've always wished for you to forget what happened 300 years ago and move on, but I'm a bit worried when I hear about your concern for Hizuri Kuon when he looks so similar to that mortal. Do you really love Hizuri Kuon, or do you think of him as that mortal?" Yayoi asked.

Kyoko paused in her answer as she thought about how to answer Yayoi's question. Originally, she had pursued Kuon since she had believed that Kuon and Ren were the same person and not that different, but over the time she had gotten to know him, she had learned that Kuon was indeed a bit different from Ren. Kuon's experiences of losing his master had given him a sorrow that Ren did not have before, and he was more bellicose due to his training under the God of War. However, even with that mountain of sorrow, Kuon still persevered and became the king of the Fairy Kingdom. His commitment to his kingdom was phenomenal, and Kyoko knew for certain that he would bring the same attitude to the position of Heavenly Emperor in the future. But underneath all of that maturity, Kyoko had seen glimpses of Kuon's childish side when he had teased her by kissing her on the lips in the mortal realm for letting another man grab her arm.

His past had changed him to a certain extent compared to his life as Ren, but Kyoko had also realized that they both shared many of the same characteristics. Kuon and Ren couldn't cook if their lives depended on it. They both shared the same small appetite, and Kyoko would practically have to force feed them to get them to eat three meals a day. Both could make her instantly feel better in her darkest times, and she experienced happiness by being in their presences that she never thought possible before she had fallen in love. Kuon was just as caring as Ren had been, if not more since he was kind to both friends and strangers alike. Even to someone like her who had forced herself into his life, he was still kind to her. Kyoko looked over to the beautiful rose he had given her which she had set in an elegant vase on her desk. Kyoko smiled, already knowing her answer.

"I love Kuon," Kyoko answered honestly. Yayoi sighed in relief at Kyoko's answer, but Sho frowned in anger at the radiant smile she wore as she thought about Kuon.

"That's good. I'm sorry for disturbing you," Yayoi smiled, turning to exit the room. Sho stood his ground, not following her out. He scowled openly at Kyoko when his mother was gone from the room.

"You liar. You said you would never fall in love with anyone other than Ren," Sho reminded her. Kyoko laughed.

"I _haven't_ fallen in love with anyone other than Ren. In case you haven't gotten it through your dense brain yet, Kuon and Ren are the same person! Kuon took a memory potion to forget about his trauma because of you!" Kyoko exclaimed in anger.

"Hey-!"

"Guards, can you escort Shotaro out for me? I want to be left alone to finish my work," Kyoko smiled sweetly, interrupting what Sho had been about to say. The guards from outside immediately came in on her command and motioned for Sho to leave. He snarled to Kyoko and stood his ground, shrugging off the hand of one of the guards.

"As a legal consort of the Crown Princess, I order you to return to your posts outside at this instant or be fired!" Sho threatened the guards. The guards turned to Kyoko who only sighed in annoyance.

"As the Crown Princess, only I have command over the guards in my own palace. You are an _outsider_. They cannot take orders from you," Kyoko smirked. Sho opened his mouth to retort before the guards stepped threateningly towards him. Realizing that he had lost that battle, Sho reluctantly followed the guards out.

...

Yayoi turned to see her son coming towards her with Kyoko's guards behind him, and she extended a hand to him. He let her hook onto his arm as they strolled back towards her quarters.

"I'm relieved that Kyoko-chan is not in love with Hizuri Kuon just because he looks similar to that mortal," Yayoi confided in him. Sho didn't respond, still angry over Kyoko kicking him out of her room like that.

"I wonder when Kyoko-chan will become pregnant again. You've been married to her for 300 years, but there's still been no news of her pregnancy."

"Mother, you know I don't have say in that," Sho replied. Yayoi nodded, assuming by his words that he had already slept with Kyoko multiple times, although Kyoko had never even let him step foot in her bedroom after they were married. "I know. I'm just wondering how your relationship with her has been lately. When I heard about what happened when you two were married, I was shocked."

"Don't worry, Mother. She was just confused back then, but I've definitely grown on her. I own her heart," Sho smirked as they exited Kyoko's palace. Neither noticed that Kuon had been standing off to the side just behind a column, eavesdropping on their conversation. He had been on his way to see Kyoko when he had seen Yayoi step out of Kyoko's study, so he had hidden behind a nearby column. His eyes darkened as he mulled over Sho's words and pictured Sho trying to force himself onto Kyoko. He climbed up the steps to Kyoko's study before the guards in front stopped him.

"The Crown Princess said that she wishes to be left alone to finish her work," One of the guards said, not knowing that Kyoko had only meant the order towards Sho. Kuon nodded sadly, teleporting back to his quarters. It looked like he wouldn't be able to eat dinner with her tonight after all.

…

"Takarada-san!"

Lory looked up from his desk to see Konoe from the Ghost Kingdom in front of him. Lory quirked an eyebrow at the man's sudden appearance, and the love story scroll that Lory had been reading suddenly vanished.

"Konoe-san. What brings you to LME?"

"Is this a safe space to talk in?" Konoe wondered. Lory nodded, immediately casting a barrier around them so no one could teleport in or listen in. Konoe sighed in relief as he saw Lory's casting of the spell.

"Good. I need to ask a favor of you..."

…

Kuon stretched his arms as he got out of bed the next morning. Like the day before, it had not been that easy for him to fall asleep. He hadn't eaten dinner the day before, and he hadn't been able to visit Kyoko. This was the first time that he hadn't seen her for a whole day. It was funny how he had become so used to her presence that he couldn't go one day without seeing her and wouldn't get sleep without seeing her that day.

However, perhaps his insomnia was also due to the bad vibes he felt from the Hall of Radiance. Somehow, it seemed very familiar to Kuon, and it felt that he had some bad memories associated with the place, but Kuon didn't know why since he had never been there before. He found himself experiencing many moments of déjà vu recently, and he was beginning to wonder how much longer he would be able to take staying in the Sky Palace. Walking out onto the porch, Kuon widened his eyes as he saw a bespectacled man approaching the hall.

"Kuon!" Yashiro exclaimed as Kuon noticed him, running up to stand in front of Kuon. Kuon was surprised at his sudden appearance and wondered why Yashiro was there.

"Yashiro-san? What are you doing here?" Kuon wondered.

"Takarada-san sent me to ask if you would meet with him. He said it's urgent," Yashiro said. Kuon told Ruto where he would be going before he teleported to LME with Yashiro. Lory had constructed a palace today in LME, and the trio walked through rooms upon rooms until they finally reached Lory's study. They opened the door to see Konoe and Lory laughing together whilst drinking tea.

"A cup of tea is what you call urgent?" Kuon scowled. Lory set down his cup and beckoned for him to come into the room.

"My apologies, we were just waiting for you to arrive, Hizuri-san. My name's Konoe, and I'm from the Ghost Kingdom. I asked Takarada-san if I could meet with you," Konoe introduced himself.

" _You_ requested to meet with me?"

"Yes. You see, I'm one of three rulers in the Ghost Kingdom's triumvirate. The other two, Manaka-chan and Murasame-san, seem to have formed a tight-knit alliance together. I've heard rumors that they're planning to bring back King Reino. I think they helped Vie Ghoul escape from prison and provided them with a hiding place within the Ghost Kingdom that I do not know of," Konoe explained. Kuon looked to him in shock, and his blood boiled at the mention of the man who had killed his mentor.

"It seems that Murasame-san and Manaka-chan are advertising their intent to hire a skilled fighter, although in reality, they are trying to hire an assassin to kill certain people in order to further their plans of allowing King Reino to take over the Heavens. These people might include rulers of certain kingdoms and the royal family of the Heavens. You and I both know that this would be disastrous," Konoe explained.

"So why did you tell me all of this?" Kuon wondered.

"Hizuri-san, I heard that you trained on Goraku Mountain with High God Rick. You must have excellent fighting skills."

"I haven't trained as much recently, but I still try to practice when I have the time," Kuon replied.

"That's good. I want to request for you to try out for the assassin job in the Ghost Kingdom," Konoe said. Kuon immediately glared at him.

"I'm not going to help you kill the Crown Princess. My allegiance is with Heaven's Alliance."

"No, no! That's not what I meant! I think the assassin position would be a good way for you to infiltrate the Ghost Kingdom's inner circle and expose their plans. They already know that my allegiance is with Heaven's Alliance, so I can't learn of how they're planning to bring back King Reino. I was wondering if you would be willing to take the assassin position and go undercover to learn of their plans," Konoe replied. Kuon widened his eyes at Konoe's request and turned to Lory to see what he thought about the idea.

"I have a friend named Jelly Woods who's very good at disguise magic. I can ask her to completely change your appearance so that no one will be able to recognize you," Lory added.

"Why me?" Kuon asked Konoe.

"I used to train under the same master as High God Rick, and we were war buddies. During the war 70,000 years ago, I acted as a double-agent on the side of Heaven's Alliance. I would frequently come into contact with Rick, and he would always talk about his youngest disciple and how he was very proud of how far you had come. On the day that he was killed, he spoke to me beforehand. It was almost as if he knew what would happen that day. He told me that if he was gone and I needed assistance, I could come to find you since you were guaranteed to help me on his behalf. Please, Hizuri-san, I beg you to help me. The fate of the Heavens depends on us figuring out how to stop the revival of King Reino," Konoe begged, getting onto the floor in a dogeza. Kuon looked to Lory in shock at the formality. Lory only smiled and motioned for him to help Konoe off the floor. Kuon helped Konoe stand up before replying.

"I'll do it. Master Rick would have wanted me to. No matter what, King Reino cannot be brought back. It would mean the end of our world as we know it," Kuon said. Konoe immediately perked up and shook Kuon's hand vigorously.

"Thank you, thank you!" Konoe exclaimed. Kuon smiled politely at the man, but Yashiro stood agape at Kuon's willingness to answer so quickly. What would this mean for his budding relationship with Kyoko?

"Kuon! Should we tell the Crown Princess about this so that she's not surprised by your sudden departure from the Sky Palace?" Yashiro wondered.

"There's no time. I have to go undercover as soon as possible before they give the assassin job to someone else."

"You're right! I'll go fetch Jelly right now!" Lory exclaimed, teleporting away.

"Kuon, don't you think you're rushing into this?!" Yashiro wondered. Kuon came up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Yashiro-san, I'm counting on you to run the Sky Kingdom while I'm gone," Kuon replied. A few seconds later, Lory came back with the disguise witch.

"Kuon, are you sure you're ready to change your persona? Do you have any matters you need to take care of beforehand or say goodbye to anyone?" Lory asked. Kuon shook his head to Yashiro's horror. Was he just going to leave Kyoko without even a goodbye?!

"I'm ready. Let's go, Woods-san," Kuon smiled, and Jelly led him to another room to get him ready. Yashiro groaned in frustration and teleported to the Sky Palace, running to find the Crown Princess before it was too late. Seeing Princess Hana being escorted somewhere by some guards, Yashiro called out her name.

"Hana-chan!" Yashiro exclaimed, running up to her. Hana immediately turned around and smiled at him.

"Uncle Yashiro-san!" Hana exclaimed. Yashiro widened his eyes at her address of him, but he would have to touch on it later since he was running out of time and needed to find Kyoko.

"Do you know where your mother is?" Yashiro asked.

"Today, Auntie Moko-san invited Mother to the Water Kingdom since she just had a baby! I wanted to go too, but Mother said that baby and mother were still resting and that she would take me next time," Hana replied.

"Who is Moko-san?" Yashiro wondered, never having heard of any royalty in the Water Kingdom by that name.

"Oops, sorry! I forgot that it was Mother's nickname for her friend. Auntie Moko-san is actually Kotonami Kanae of the Water Kingdom," Hana elaborated. Yashiro thanked her before teleporting to the Water Kingdom to find Kyoko. When he arrived, the guards stationed in front of the palace stared him down. "Who are you?" One of the guards asked.

"Yashiro Yukihito of the Fairy Kingdom. I'm here to deliver an urgent message to the Crown Princess," Yashiro explained.

"Wait here. We will tell the Crown Princess you're here," A guard said, disappearing through the door. As Yashiro waited, he tapped his foot impatiently. He needed to see her before it was too late!

When the guard returned, he was alone, and Yashiro immediately went up to him. "Where is the Crown Princess?"

"She said that she would meet with you in the Fairy Kingdom after she's done visiting our queen," The guard replied. Yashiro groaned but thanked the guard quickly before teleporting back to LME, hoping that Kuon was still there. What he didn't expect to see was the ominous shadow of a person sitting in Lory's seat. The man looked dangerous, and Yashiro felt his heartbeat quicken in fear when the man got up and started to approach him. The man's steel grey eyes glared at Yashiro, and he found himself backing away until he hit a wall.

"T-Takarada-san!" Yashiro cried out in fear. The scary creature immediately backed off and sat back down in Lory's seat at Yashiro's scream. Lory came in from the adjoining room and smirked in amusement at the scene he happened upon.

"Yashiro-san! I see you've met Cain Heel… Good work, Kuon!" Lory gave the dark shadow a thumbs up. Yashiro raised an eyebrow in confusion as the man stood up and gave him a gentlemanly smile that he recognized.

"No way! I didn't recognize you at all, Kuon!" Yashiro exclaimed.

"This is good. If even you couldn't recognize him, then I'm not too worried about him being discovered by anyone else," Lory smiled. Kuon smiled back as Konoe entered the room.

"All the preparations are set, Hizuri-san! I've arranged a house for you to stay in while you live in the Ghost Kingdom!" Konoe announced.

"Thank you, Konoe-san. I'm ready to teleport there whenever," Kuon replied.

"Then let's depart now!" Konoe exclaimed.

"Wait, Kuon! Don't you need to say goodbye to anyone first-" Yashiro interjected, but Kuon and Konoe had already teleported away before he could finish his sentence.

"Takarada-san, how are we going to explain this to the Crown Princess?!" Yashiro asked.

"If she asks you where he is, you can tell her as long as you are meeting in private and you set a barrier around your conversation to keep it secret. Afterwards, if she requests to see him, then send her to me," Lory smirked. Yashiro nodded, wondering why Lory seemed as if he had a secret plan...

* * *

 **Writing about Kyoko truly realizing that she loves Kuon was one of my favorite paragraphs to write in this chapter! And her telling off Sho right afterwards is just so satisfying after everything that Sho has done to ruin her relationship with Ren in the past. But this is not the end of Sho's suffering yet! We will get much more of that in later chapters :D.**

 **Thank you to all who reviewed last chapter!**

 **Guest-** I'm glad you liked seeing Sho suffering! Don't worry, there's more of that coming in the future as well! And as for Saena, we'll have to see. She _is_ the all-powerful Heavenly Empress after all, so she's unfortunately a bit exempt from certain you for writing me a review!

 **H-Nala-** I'm sorry that last chapter seemed a bit rushed. Looking back, I packed a lot of events into last chapter without enough breathing time in between. After writing so many chapters of Ren suffering in the Sky Palace before, I will admit that I wanted to finish Kuon's short visit to the Sky Palace as soon as possible, so that's why last chapter seemed a bit rushed. I hope that this chapter had better pacing! Now to answer your question about Kuon looking in the mirror to see his eyes: Kuon has looked in the mirror before, but he already knows that his eyes were damaged during his heavenly trial. He just doesn't know that his real eyes are actually in Sho's sockets since he lost his memories. I hope I answered your question, but please let me know if you need more explanation! Thanks for your review!

 **Paulagato-** Seeing Kuon defend himself against Sho is definitely enjoyable after his suffering as Ren. This is not the end of Sho's punishment, and he will definitely have his retribution in later chapters. Since Saena is the Heavenly Empress, she won't have as much of a punishment as Sho will have, although I as an author will still attempt to punish her a bit for trying to kill Ren earlier. Thank you for reviewing!

 **melchormonica8 _-_** Glad you liked the ending last chapter when Kuon gave Kyoko Princess Hana! Thank you for reviewing!

 **Ivy401-** I'm happy you liked last chapter! Hope this chapter reached your expectations! Thank you for your review!


	38. Chapter 38

"Mo, are you sure you don't need to see that man from the Fairy Kingdom right away, Kyoko? Ever since that servant told you he was waiting to speak with you and you turned him away, you haven't been very focused on our conversation."

Kyoko cleared the thoughts running through her head to focus on her conversation with Kanae. "Sorry, Moko-san. I'm just worried that Yashiro-san was here to tell me something important concerning Kuon. I should have just let him in," Kyoko looked down guiltily.

"Mo, you can go see him now if you want. You've been here for a while, and Tomoko has fallen asleep already," Kanae smiled, rocking her sleeping daughter gently in her arms.

"Are you sure? I thought you wanted to go eat some desserts together once your daughter fell asleep?" Kyoko quirked her head to the side in question. Kanae shuddered at the memories of the amount of calories she would consume were she to eat desserts with Kyoko. She had just worked off part of her pregnancy belly, and she didn't want to revert her progress.

"Don't worry. We can do that another time. For now, just go see what that servant needed to tell you," Kanae encouraged her, although she was internally relieved for the excuse to get away from that mountain of calories.

"Thank you, Moko-san! Goodbye, Tomoko-chan!" Kyoko exclaimed, kissing the baby girl softly on the head so as not to wake her up. Kyoko waved goodbye to Kanae before teleporting to the Fairy Kingdom, almost at the same time as Yashiro teleported back from LME.

"Yashiro-san! I'm sorry I couldn't see you right away when you requested to speak to me at the Water Kingdom! What was it you needed to tell me?" Kyoko asked.

"It's too late now! He's already gone!" Yashiro sighed dramatically.

"Who?"

"Kuon!"

Kyoko blinked twice in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Earlier today, Konoe-san from the Ghost Kingdom visited Takarada-san at LME and requested to meet with Kuon. He asked Kuon to go undercover in the Ghost Kingdom as the royal assassin to find out how they are planning to bring back King Reino. I tried to tell you before he left, but he's already in the Ghost Kingdom right now as his new persona, Cain Heel," Yashiro explained, grumbling at how stupid his charge was for not even saying anything to the girl he loved before leaving.

"How could he leave without saying anything? Did he really hate my presence that much?" Kyoko wondered. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, trying not to cry from the onslaught of painful memories from when this sort of thing had happened in the past. The last time Ren had left without saying anything, he had jumped off Korosu Terrace.

Yashiro sensed the cloud of darkness that had formed around Kyoko and realized just how similar this was to what had happened in the past to Ren. "K-Kyoko-chan, please don't worry! Takarada-san told me that you could talk to him if you wanted to see Kuon!" Yashiro exclaimed, trying to brighten her mood. Kyoko smiled sadly up at him.

"I will go see him now. Thank you for trying to warn me, Yashiro-san. I'm sorry I didn't speak with you before it was too late," Kyoko apologized before teleporting to LME. Lory was surprised that it had taken her such a short time to seek him out, but he guessed that Yashiro had actively sought her out to have her come by so early.

"Mogami-kun, I've been expecting you. I'm assuming Yashiro-san explained Kuon's situation to you?"

"He did. He told me that you would help me contact Kuon," Kyoko replied, meeting Lory's gaze with a firm resolve in her eyes.

"I will help you, but you can't see him as you are right now. It would blow his cover if the Crown Princess suddenly visited him. You will have to be in disguise if you want to meet with Cain Heel," Lory smiled secretly.

"I feel like it would be dangerous for me to potentially blow his cover just to speak with him for a few moments, not to mention that disguise magic is not my strongest suit-"

"I know that as the Crown Princess, you concern yourself with affairs between kingdoms. If King Reino is brought back, that would surely be a problem for all of the Heavens. You could stop the Ghost Kingdom from within if you go undercover together with Kuon. It would add more depth to his backstory and make the character of Cain Heel more believable if someone was there to back him up. My friend Jelly Woods created Kuon's new look as Cain Heel, and she's still here. She's the best of the best at disguise magic, so she would be able to help you to look completely different than who you are now. She will even be able to disguise your immortal aura to one of the Ghost Kingdom instead of the Sky Kingdom. Would you be willing to go undercover in the Ghost Kingdom as Setsuka Heel?"

"Heel? Isn't that Kuon's character's name as well? Does that mean you want me to act as his wife?" Kyoko wondered.

"Is that a request?" Lory smirked.

"N-no! Of course not! I was just wondering..."

"Even though I think you two could act out a married couple convincingly, I actually don't want you to pretend to be his wife. I want you to act as his sister. Cain Heel is a lone wolf type, so it wouldn't make sense if he was married, especially not to someone so young. As his sister with a brother complex, no one would question your proximity to him," Lory explained. Kyoko mouthed a silent "o", understanding Lory's reasoning, although she was a bit disappointed that she wouldn't be acting as his wife. Maybe it was better this way, lest Kuon see her lousy performance as his wife and decide that it isn't worth it to marry her for real.

"I would be willing to go undercover. I had actually entertained the idea in my head before and had wanted to meet with Konoe-san when your son, General Takarada, informed me of this matter, but I need to sort out some of my affairs first before I transform into Setsuka Heel. I should be back by the end of the day," Kyoko said. Lory nodded, and she teleported to the Sky Palace. She immediately went to the Hall of Radiance where Ruto was waiting for Kuon's return. Upon seeing her, Ruto bowed.

"Kuon has decided to return to the Fairy Kingdom, so you do not have to serve this hall anymore for the time being. I am also going to be gone for a while on a mission. It could be months or years before I return. Could I ask you to look after Hana while I'm gone?" Kyoko asked. During the past 300 years, Kyoko had trusted Ruto to take care of Hana whenever she couldn't, and this time was no different.

"I will guard Princess Hana with my life," Ruto promised. Kyoko thanked him sincerely before teleporting to Hana's room to find her. Hana smiled at her mother's arrival, putting down the Ren doll she had been playing with.

"Mother! You're back! Uncle Yashiro-san was looking for you earlier!"

"I know. I spoke with him already," Kyoko said, suddenly picking her daughter up in her arms and enveloping her in a hug.

"Mother? Why are you hugging me so?" Hana wondered.

"Hana, I have to leave you for a little while. I don't know when I'll be back, but hopefully soon. You have to keep this a secret, but I'm going with your father undercover in the Ghost Kingdom. I asked Ruto to watch over you while I'm gone," Kyoko hugged her. Hana immediately hugged her back, trying to savor her mother's presence in these few moments to get her through the time she would have to spend without her mother. Since the royal family was quite small, Hana was the only young immortal in the palace. She didn't have that many friends her age to spend time with, so her mother had been her best friend throughout the years. Hana would miss her dearly.

"I'll miss you so much, Mother," Hana sniffed, trying to hold back her tears. Kyoko nodded. "I will miss you too, Hana. Make sure you stay with people we trust like Ruto, Yashiro-san, and Takarada-san. I'm sure that your grandparents would also love to see you again, and you can even see if Maria-chan would like to come visit to play with you. Anything you need, just tell Ruto, but whatever you do, don't let Shotaro or his maids near you."

"I won't, Mother. I hope you come back soon," Hana tried to smile. Kyoko really felt blessed to have such a strong daughter, but she knew that it was partly due to the fact that Hana had to deal with situations that she shouldn't have to deal with at her age. Many saw Hana as an illegitimate heir even though Hana was fully immortal, and Kyoko knew that Hana was smart enough to know what was spoken behind her back. Kyoko wished she could shield her daughter from such things, but it was impossible to protect her from everything.

"I love you, Hana," Kyoko kissed her brow, hugging her one last time before sadly waving goodbye and teleporting back to LME where Lory was waiting for her.

"Finished saying your goodbyes?"

"I am. I only wanted to make sure that Hana would be safe while I'm gone."

"Have you informed the Heavenly Empress of your departure?" Lory wondered. Kyoko stiffened for a second before forcing a smile. She couldn't let this affect her, not right now. The last time Kuon had been able to help distract her from speaking about her mother by giving her Princess Rosa, but Kyoko had no one to shield her from this time but herself.

Kyoko had not spoken to her mother for 300 years. Every order that Saena had sent her daughter had been through a messenger, and Kyoko had never been summoned directly to speak with her mother in that time. She knew that her mother was cruel, but she could not stomach looking that woman in the eyes ever since she learned that her mother had a hand in killing Ren. It only cemented the fears that Kyoko had believed before she even met Ren.

Her mother did not care about her at all. Every single thing that her mother had done had been for Saena's own benefit, not Kyoko's. Although Saena had agreed to a marriage between Kyoko and Kuon, it had been for political reasons, not about Kyoko's happiness. She had never once acted motherly to Kyoko, instead leaving Kyoko's upbringing to Fuwa Yayoi. And the one time that Kyoko finally had someone she cared about and had truly found happiness in her life, her mother had ripped away that spark of happiness. Kyoko cleared her throat, trying desperately to clear these thoughts from her head before they threatened to overtake her emotions.

"I don't need to. My only duties right now are to neutralize the Vie Ghoul threat, and I will be performing that duty by going undercover in the Ghost Kingdom," Kyoko replied with a straight face, her mask as Crown Princess immaculately thrown up. Lory raised an eyebrow at her reaction to his question, aware that she was hiding her true emotional state, but he wouldn't pry for details. It was not proper for him to do so.

"Very well," Lory said as he stood up and walked over to the door connecting his study to the adjacent room, urging Jelly to come out. Kyoko was surprised by the petite woman who entered the room.

"Ah, Crown Princess! Nice to meet you! I'm Jelly Woods. I'll be taking care of you today," Jelly bowed.

"The pleasure's all mine," Kyoko replied in a bow.

"Darling explained your character to you, yes?"

"I just know her name is Setsuka Heel…"

"The one thing that you need to know about Setsu is that her brother is the center of her life. Cain comes first, second, third, fourth, and fifth as well. She only cares for her brother, and her brother complex is so intense that it's almost like a sickness," Jelly explained. Kyoko widened her eyes in surprise. She had never heard of such siblings...

"Are you ready to transform into Setsu?" Jelly smiled. Kyoko nodded nervously, wondering what this girl could possibly look like based on her description.

…

As Cain waited to be picked up from the meeting room of the Ghost Palace to be taken to where he would be tested for the assassin job, Kuon let his mind wander to Kyoko. He wondered how she would react to his sudden disappearance. How soon would it be until she noticed he had left? A small part of him hoped that she would come after him, but how could she? He was Cain Heel, and it would surely blow his cover if he met with the Crown Princess.

Kuon reasoned that Kyoko probably wouldn't have time to look for him anyways. Her duties had probably piled on top of her for spending so much time with him recently. And judging by her locked study yesterday, Kuon wondered if she was tired of his presence. He had overstayed his welcome at the Sky Palace, and it would have been awkward for her to ask him to leave. Perhaps that was why she had refused to see him. It would be easier to let him down that way. Maybe he was doing her a favor by suddenly disappearing.

"Heel-san?" An assistant asked as they popped into the waiting room, shaking Kuon out of his thoughts. Cain stood up gruffly and followed the assistant to a large training room. When he walked in, Kuon recognized who he knew to be Murasame-san and Manaka-chan waiting for him.

"W-Waaaaah! Murasame-san!" Manaka screamed, burrowing into his side in fear of the dark shadow that had just entered the room. Murasame only sighed. She had done this almost every single time today a brute had come in to try out for the job. However, this was the first time she was physically shivering in fear.

"Cain Heel, right? You're trying out for the job of the skilled fighter we're hiring?" Murasame asked, reciting the flyers that had been posted around the kingdom instead of revealing their true purpose of hiring a skilled fighter.

"I am trying out to be the royal assassin," Cain responded. Murasame smirked. So this guuy knew what they were really hiring for?

"Very well. We want the best of the best, so all you have to do is defeat all of the shadow soldiers that Manaka-chan casts into the room. If you can do that, then we'll hire you, but we won't if you get killed," Murasame grinned wickedly. No one had yet to survive the test, but Murasame had a feeling that this guy would at least put up more of a fight than the last couple. Murasame looked over to Manaka who was still clutching his side in fear. He rubbed her back soothingly, and she looked up at him timidly.

"Manaka-chan, the shadow soldiers?" Murasame reminded her. She quickly stood upright, remembering her duty, and cast about fifty shadow soldiers into the room whose attention all focused on Cain. He was outnumbered, but Kuon had gotten out of worse scrapes before. There was a reason he had been one of Rick's best disciples.

Kuon knew that the last time he had fought Vie Ghoul, he was distracted. His rage for them trespassing in Rick's tomb had taken control of him, and he had been so blinded by his anger that he had allowed himself to get hurt. He needed to keep a rational head to fight this large group of soldiers all by himself.

Kuon quickly materialized a sword of his own, scanning the battlefield in the few seconds he had before the first soldier attacked. As the soldier lunged at him with a sword, Kuon blocked his swing with his own sword and cast a spell to send him flying to the other side of the room. His eyes quickly darted over to Manaka-chan who was focused on controlling the spell, and he knew from his training that the simplest way to defeat the soldiers would be to break the spell caster's concentration. Looking through the horde of soldiers in front of him, Kuon knew he would have to get rid of some of them to reach Manaka-chan. Kuon ran up to the two soldiers directly in front of him and dodged all of their attacks as they attempted to slice his head off. Some of the soldiers in the back of the group materialized bows and tried to hit Kuon with their arrows, but Kuon simply cast a barrier to shield himself from the barrage of arrows, the metal tips of the arrows clanging off the magical shield. With the two soldiers still directly in front of him, Kuon ducked under their next swings and swung at their backs, making them vaporize. For the other soldiers directly in front of him, Kuon cast a sweeping wind spell that sent them all flying in the other direction, stunning them momentarily. Now with a clear path, he sprinted towards Manaka-chan who looked at him wide-eyed in fear as the tip of his sword was pointed directly at her. As he got closer, she screamed and stopped her spell, using her hands to cover her face. The shadow soldiers in the room all disappeared immediately, and Kuon lowered his sword to lock eyes with a smirking Murasame.

"Pretty smart move there. None of the other guys who tried out attempted to break the concentration of the spell-caster, so they were quickly overpowered. You're hired," Murasame told him. Manaka slowly lowered the hands covering her face when she realized that she was no longer in danger.

"Murasame-san, he's so scary! He was about to hurt me!" Manaka cried out, clinging onto Murasame's robes again as he tried to soothe her again. Cain turned away, having completed his task.

"Hey! Where are you going?!" Murasame called out.

"Home," Cain responded curtly.

"As an employee of the Ghost Palace, we'll need you to live in the palace from now on so that you can respond to our orders as soon as possible. Pack up your things and return here tomorrow morning," Murasame ordered. Cain didn't turn around to acknowledge that he had heard Murasame's demand.

"Hey! Did you hear what I said?!" Murasame frowned. Cain replied with a small nod of his head before continuing on his way out the door.

* * *

 **A bit of a filler chapter to transition to the Heel sibling portion of this story, but nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed it. Next chapter, I promise we will have actual Heel sibling interaction! Thank you all for your support for this fic!**

 **Ivy401-** You were right! Lory was definitely planning for the Heel siblings all along. I am glad you enjoy reading this fic!

 **Erza-** It would be great if the Heels didn't have to be siblings, but I feel like the close proximity of being siblings is still useful to lower some of the usual walls of Kyoko and Kuon without forcing them into a relationship that they are not ready for. The Heel siblings in canon was a great way to bring Kyoko and Ren closer, and they will also serve that purpose in this fic, although with a bit more relationship progress... Thank you for reviewing!

 **H-Nala-** For everything that Sho has done in this fic, I personally will see to it that he suffers and that Ren is avenged. He will get his eyes back eventually. I am glad that last chapter's pacing was better! Thanks for the review!

 **brennakai-** Yashiro is ever the shipper of our fav couple! I've actually never written a fic that included the Heel siblings before, but the few chapters that I have written for this fic in advance were really fun to write! I too enjoy Sho's suffering in this fic, especially after everything that Ren was put through. Sho's mom was oblivious in canon to her son clearly not having feelings for the girl who she wanted him to marry, so I wrote Yayoi in this fic in the same way to be oblivious to Kyoko's lack of interest in Sho. Thank you for your review!

 **JeremyVD-** Don't worry! I don't think it's actually possible to include Cain in a story without Setsu. Although the Heel siblings did not actually meet this chapter, I promise that they will appear together next chapter! Thank you for the praise, and I hope that you enjoy the chapters as they come out!

 **Paulagato-** Happy new year! I am glad you enjoyed last chapter, and although Setsu didn't appear in this chapter, she will come out in full force next chapter! Thank you for your review!


	39. Chapter 39

A young lady walked through the small Ghost Kingdom village that Cain was staying in that night, drawing stares from everyone around her. It wasn't everyday that you saw someone like her, even in the Ghost Kingdom. Although she wore a black silk shawl, it was transparent enough to see through to her black lace bodice. Her midriff was exposed, and a huge slit in her black skirt underneath showed off her alabaster legs. Her hair was bleach blonde with pink highlights, and her eyes a steel grey that promised trouble were you to cross her. A glimmering lip ring completed her ensemble, and those around her looked at her risqué appearance with shock. A few men watched the goddess in lust, wondering if she would be interested in staying with them that night. However, none were able to approach her since she walked past them so swiftly.

Setsu hurried over to a seemingly normal small house and used magic to unlock the door. Stepping inside, she closed the door behind her and looked around the small room. So this was where her Nii-san had been staying? Setsu approached the single bed in the room and plopped down on top of it. A few seconds later, Setsu almost fell off the bed in shock as she heard the door opening.

...

The first step of his mission had been completed. Cain had successfully won the job of royal assassin. Kuon should have been happy, but instead he felt a sense of dread.

He would have to live in the palace. They would have eyes and ears on him at almost all times. He would have to be Cain Heel 24/7 to prevent slip-ups, and he would be stuck in his role for who knew how long. It might be a very long time until he saw Kyoko again. He should have just said goodbye to her and ended their time together on a high note. Instead, his last memory of her was Sho cockily stating that she still loved him and Kuon being blocked from entering her study. Although it had only been a day, Kuon was already missing her presence by his side. He hadn't known just how deeply he had fallen in love with her while she had been staying in the Fairy Kingdom until his separation from her. Reaching his house, Kuon opened the door and stepped inside, taking off his cloak and sighing. Oh, how he wished to see Kyoko again.

"Nii-san, you left without even saying goodbye. Your poor sister, Setsuka, had to come find you herself."

Kuon stopped in his tracks and looked up to see the girl of his affections scantily clothed on top of his bed. His mind tried to process why she was in disguise and what she had said earlier, and he was luckily able to reply without looking too surprised.

"I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly, Setsu," Cain replied without missing a beat. Kyoko was surprised at how quickly he had accepted this new development in his character. She supposed it was to be suspected for someone who had trained under the God of War. He had probably undergone some training in espionage and secret identities in the case that he would have to act as a spy in the future.

"You didn't even say goodbye! I had to get help from Uncle to find you," Setsu pouted. She shifted to lying on her stomach on the bed and looked up at him with hooded eyes. With her shifting of position, Kuon took in her outfit fully for the first time, his eyes lingering especially at the low neckline of her top which exposed the soft skin underneath… He looked away, cursing Lory for his meddling. Why had he dressed her in something like this?! Was he really trying to test Kuon's control?!

"Why are you here, Setsu?" Kuon asked, trying desperately to cling onto his Cain Heel persona. Just in case he accidentally broke character, Kuon cast a sound barrier around the room. Setsu smirked at him.

"Uncle wanted me to take care of you while you were being the royal assassin. He said I could learn a few things from you while I was here about how the Ghost Kingdom is run and boring things like that. I'm going to be staying with Nii-san until he's done with his job here," Setsu explained. Kuon internally groaned at Lory's meddling, but it was also comforting to know that he wouldn't be alone in this mission.

"Setsu, I'm moving into the Ghost Palace tomorrow morning, so I can ask for a room with two beds tomorrow, but tonight there's only one bed here."

"I-Is that so? T-Then… Nii-san, I can make a bed on the floor in the bathroom!" Setsu suggested.

"Tell me your character profile as Setsuka Heel," Kuon said, wanting to know exactly what mess Lory had put him into.

"Okay… I only care for my brother. I have a brother complex so immense, it's like a sickness. My life revolves around my brother. Brother comes first, second, third, fourth, and fifth," Kyoko recited. Kuon cursed the meddling High God once again for testing his resolve not only with her revealing clothes but also Setsu's clingy personality. What kind of sister was like _this_?!

"So do you think that a little sister with such an obsessive brother complex would ever sleep in a separate room?" Kuon asked. Kyoko thought his question through and knew the obvious answer.

"No, Nii-san. In fact, she would probably want to sleep in the same bed with him…" Kyoko responded.

"We've slept in the same bed before anyways, so let's just sleep together."

Kyoko blinked twice, a confused "Eh?" coming out of her mouth as she tried to process what he meant by that. Kuon, realizing the double meaning of his statement, took on a dark glint in his eyes.

"I'll let you use my arm as a pillow," Cain teased her, approaching her with a gleam of the Emperor of the Night in his eyes. Kyoko's eyes widened in shock as Cain slowly approached her with that predatory grin. Trying to compose herself, Kyoko decided that she wouldn't let this opportunity pass. If he wanted to fluster her like this, she would reciprocate the gesture. As Setsu who had a brother complex, Kyoko could get away with showing affection to Kuon openly without any repercussions. Determination flared in her eyes as she gave him a smirk.

"Okay."

Kuon was not expecting that answer, and he gasped as Setsu stood up and grabbed his arm, pulling him onto the bed with her. Kuon's heart started to beat faster at how close she was, and he desperately tried to grasp onto Cain's character. With a smirk of satisfaction, Setsu settled in next to him on the bed, wrapping her arms around his torso and placing her head on his chest. Kyoko noticed the rapid beating of his heart and worried if her sudden appearance as Setsu had really startled him this much.

"Nii-san, why is your heart beating so fast? Are you feeling okay?" Setsu asked in concern.

"Adrenaline rush from the try-outs earlier," Cain lied. Setsu seemed to accept his answer, and she waved her hand to change into her night attire. Kyoko knew that this would have been a _very_ inappropriate thing to do as the Crown Princess, but maybe it could pass as Setsu. Kuon's mouth went dry as he felt her exposed midriff on his fingertips. He took a look at Setsu's "sleepwear" and immediately had to look away, his control dangerously close to slipping.

"Setsu, where are your night robes? Why are you only in your undergarments?" Kuon asked slowly, trying to keep a level head.

"It's too hot for a night robe, and there's only Nii-san here. I thought it would be okay to just wear my undergarments to sleep," Setsu replied. Cain quickly materialized a blanket which floated down to cover her. He changed his regular robes to a set of black, silk sleep robes with his magic and rolled to face away from her, making sure that there was a good distance between them. He couldn't trust himself tonight, that was for sure.

"Goodnight then, Setsu," Cain said. Kyoko, not yet done with teasing her "brother", wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Nii-san, why are you facing away from me?" Setsu whined. She pulled his shoulder to roll him towards her; however, Kuon kept his eyes closed, not letting himself take another peek at his "sister".

"There, that's better. Goodnight, Nii-san," Setsu smiled as she took one of Cain's arms and wrapped it around her.

Kuon tried to steady his breathing, trying not to think about the girl in his arms that he desperately loved. He would only make the situation worse if he didn't accept their sleeping position. Oh, how Kuon wished he had a vial of sleeping potion on him to take right now.

…

Kyoko woke up first the next morning, feeling so comfortable with Kuon's arm around her. Although she knew it was wrong to manipulate him into doing such a thing as Setsu, she couldn't help but want to be selfish for once. She had been given another chance with Kuon after Ren had jumped off Korosu Terrace, and all she wanted was for Kuon to fall in love with her again. She was getting impatient. Even though she had made progress in their relationship, she wanted him to love her as deeply as he did before. His love had changed her for the better. 300 years had gone by without him, and since Kyoko had always been a pushover, she was going to be selfish this one time and use her position as Setsu to indulge her love-deprived heart.

She leaned her head up to give him a soft kiss on the cheek, causing his grey eyes to flutter open. "Good morning," Setsu purred, pushing the blanket off of her to sit up on the bed. Groggy from not getting enough sleep since he had insomnia most of the night, Kuon did not expect the barely clothed Kyoko to greet him that morning. Kuon's mouth went dry as he looked at her scantily clothed figure, but luckily his training allowed him to slip into Cain's character before he did something he would regret.

"Good morning, Setsu," Cain smirked back.

"Nii-san, how long do we have until you're expected back at the palace?" Setsu wondered, stretching her arms.

"It doesn't matter. Let's go shopping today so that I can buy you some proper sleepwear," Cain replied.

"What's wrong with these?" Setsu pouted, pointing to the underwear she was currently wearing. Kuon risked a glance at her barely clothed form again, and he cursed himself for the lewd thoughts her outfit inspired.

"I'm going to the bathroom," Cain stood up, slamming the bathroom door shut before Setsu could reply. Now alone, Kyoko let a blush erupt on her cheeks. He hadn't reacted as much as she had hoped to her choice of sleepwear. To think she put herself so much out of her comfort zone for this! Kyoko looked down at herself with a frown. He probably didn't react since he's been with so many other lovers before. Lovers who were more gifted in _certain areas_ than her. She probably looked like a child in his eyes compared to them.

…

Soon after Kuon had composed himself enough to exit the bathroom, he was relieved to find Kyoko fully clothed, albeit still in revealing clothing. Taking her hand with a sigh, Cain changed his own clothes with his magic and led them out of the house, not taking anything with them. There was nothing personal that he had brought with him on his mission. Walking down the streets of the village, Cain pulled Setsu into a clothing store, telling her to find actual sleepwear for the warm summer nights. Since Setsu's first items she brought back to him had been a skimpy black lace lingerie set and a see-through black dress, Cain took it on himself to find her something else.

Finally settling on a light and simple black robe that even Setsu couldn't say no to, the pair left the store to head to a local restaurant to eat breakfast. After breakfast, Cain insisted on touring around the village some more since they would soon be stuck in the palace most days. Cain didn't notice how much time passed until a whale call from Setsu's stomach let him know that they had been out way past lunchtime. Only after eating a small lunch did the pair finally start to make their way to the Ghost Palace. When they arrived, the guards outside recognized Cain from the day before and sent for Murasame to tell him the assassin had arrived. As the Heel siblings were led inside by a guard, a fuming Murasame stalked over to them.

"I said to return this morning! Didn't you hear me?! It's already hours past lunch! Where were you?!" Murasame seethed in anger.

"Shopping," Cain replied, holding up the bags of new clothes he had bought for Setsu while they had been touring the village. Looking to Cain's side for the first time, Murasame noticed Setsu for the first time absently checking her nails. He admired the girl from head to toe until he felt a glare from Cain, and his attention was brought back to the taciturn assassin.

"Hey, who's this?" Murasame wondered.

"Nii-san wanted to be an assassin for the Ghost Palace, so I followed him here. Wherever he goes, I follow. No exceptions," Setsu replied, leveling a challenging glare at Murasame.

"Nii-san? You're siblings, then?" Murasame asked.

"Wasn't it obvious?" Setsu scowled.

"Though it's true you both radiate the same vibes, you don't look like each other at all. I thought you were a matching couple," Murasame smirked, not able to hide his grin. Kyoko couldn't help the slight blush that came to her cheeks, and Murasame wondered why she was blushing as Cain's sister for being called a couple. He was definitely interested in this girl, and at least this meant he had a chance with her now. Even though they usually didn't let outsiders into the palace for no reason, Murasame decided that it wouldn't be so bad to be able to see this girl everyday.

"We prepared a room for you with a single bed, but I'll tell the servants to show you two to one of the rooms with two beds. We are having a meeting tonight after dinner. Don't be late this time," Murasame warned the siblings, teleporting away to tend to more important matters. Setsu only grabbed her brother's hand in her own with a smirk as a terrified servant led them to their room.

* * *

 **Ooof, I hope I did the Heel siblings justice this chapter. I've never written about them before, so this is a bit of a learning experience for me. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **H-Nala-** Thank you! I am glad that my bridge chapter worked out! Hope that the Heel siblings didn't disappoint this chapter! Thank you for the review!

 **Ivy401-** I hope you liked reading about Cain's first meeting with Setsu! And I would be honored if you wanted to make drawings of my fic! If you end up drawing anything from this fic, please send me a pic because I would love to see them! Thanks for reviewing!


	40. Chapter 40

**This chapter was a bit difficult to write, not going to lie. I wanted to make sure that I set up this arc correctly, so it took me way longer than I thought it would to edit this chapter to how I wanted it to be. And then I elongated a specific scene that I hope you guys will like...**

* * *

"Why couldn't we have just shared a room with one bed like last night, Nii-san? Didn't you like sharing the bed?" Setsu pouted as the terrified servant led them through the halls of the Ghost Palace.

"Although I liked sharing the bed, the people here have brains like Emmental cheese. They couldn't understand two siblings like us sharing a bed," Cain replied.

"That Murasame-san especially," Setsu smirked.

Once they had been shown to their room, the Heel siblings decided that it was time to have dinner before attending the meeting with Murasame. After asking a servant for directions, the siblings were on their way. As the siblings turned a corner however, Manaka who was hurrying around the corner bumped into Cain, spilling the stack of papers that had been in her hands everywhere.

"Ah! I'm such a klutz! Sorry, mister-" Manaka started to say before looking up and realizing just who she had bumped into. Her face immediately paled in fear.

"C-Cain-san! P-Please don't hurt me! I'm s-sorry I bumped into you!" Manaka yelped in fear. Cain thought she looked like a scared little hamster. He bent down and helped to pick up all of the papers she dropped. She stood frozen as he approached her and handed her the papers, patting her on the head. Meanwhile, Setsu stood off to the side, watching the scene in shock.

"Nii-san, why did you just do that?!" Setsu complained. Manaka looked at the stack of papers in her hand and realized that this brute wasn't as mean as he looked if he helped her pick up her papers. What if this guy could be Kyoushirou, a kind-hearted barbarian from Ghost Kingdom legends?

"What? I merely helped pick up her papers."

"But why did you stroke her? Why did you stroke another girl gently other than myself, _Nii-san_?" Setsu drawled out his name saccharinely. She crossed her arms with a frown as he looked at her in confusion.

"Was it something I shouldn't do? Even I have enough of a heart to protect animals, and all the more if it's a small animal. In particular, my desire to protect is intensely intensified by rodents," Cain stated bluntly. Manaka clasped her hands to her mouth.

"As I thought, you're Kyoushirou-sama!" Manaka exclaimed, leaping towards him with her arms outstretched in a hug. Setsu immediately pushed Manaka back with a spell of wind down the hallway. Manaka slid to a stop right as Murasame turned the corner into the hall, and he looked down the hallway in confusion.

"Kyoushirou-sama!" Manaka exclaimed, standing up to run towards Cain and Setsu again until Murasame grabbed her to stop her.

"That demon is not Kyoushirou-sama!" Murasame tried to tell her. When Manaka still tried to run towards Cain, Murasame picked her up over his shoulder to carry her away from the scene.

Once Manaka was gone, Setsu looked away from Cain, trying to ignore him. This jealousy that Kyoko had was becoming more and more common. Seeing Kuon show affection to any other woman made her blood boil. She had wished it was her head he was patting. After last night when he hadn't reacted at all to her attempts to seduce him as Setsu, how could he so easily show affection to Manaka-chan?! Why didn't he love-

"Are you mad?" Cain wondered, startling Kyoko out of her jealous thoughts.

Kyoko realized she had broken character and turned away from Cain, trying to gather back Setsu's spirit. Cain took it as a sign that she was definitely mad at him, especially when Setsu continued walking in the direction towards the kitchen, not taking her brother's hand at all. They walked separately towards the kitchen where they were allowed to eat dinner. When they arrived, Setsu grabbed a plate and piled on food, handing it to Cain. He chuckled. She was definitely mad at him if she was giving him this much food when she knew about his eating habits.

"Setsu, talk to me. Are you mad?" Cain wondered. Setsu ignored his question, picking up a pair of chopsticks to start eating the plate of food she had put together for herself. Cain picked up his chopsticks as well when he realized she wouldn't answer. He finished 1/4 of the plate Setsu gave him before they made to leave the kitchen. However, before they could exit, Manaka blocked their exit, a pair of hamster ears and whiskers now on her face that she had put on with her magic. Kyoko gaped her mouth at her, and jealousy she had been trying to push down came rushing back into her veins.

"Setsu, what are you waiting for?" Cain asked, brushing past Manaka as if he didn't see her. He held his hand out for Setsu, but Manaka grabbed his hand instead.

"Squeak, squeak squeak! I'm your cute little hamster! Pet me like earlier! I'm cute!" Manaka squeaked. While Cain was busy trying to get Manaka off of him, Kyoko walked away from the pair. Her jealousy had increased ten-fold from their previous conversation with Manaka. Kuon's slightest hints of affection towards other women made her heart ache in pain. She was so jealous, and she wanted Kuon only for herself. It had already been 300 years, so how much longer would she have to wait to be with him again?! Maybe some of Setsu's possessive emotions were influencing her, but Kyoko's own minuscule possessive nature had grown.

Kyoko tried to calm the swirl of jealousy surging within her and think through her situation logically. She had so graciously been given a second chance with him, so she would just have to accept that it would not be perfect. So what if he occasionally showed affection to other women? She would have to live with it. This was her reality now. He would never love her in the same way he did before. Kyoko would have to accept this new reality where Kuon didn't love her like Ren did. Tears started to form in her eyes, and she quickly wiped them away with her sleeve. Setsu was not the type to cry. What would she do if someone saw her? Kyoko broke into a run, trying to return to the Heel siblings' room before someone saw her.

"This hand is not for you. Don't get attached to it," Cain yanked his hand out of Manaka's grasp, guarding himself against Manaka and looking around for where Setsu went. He quickly ran to the kitchen's exit, looking down the hallway to see where she could have gone. When he didn't see her anywhere, he started towards their room at a fast walk, and he quickly caught up to her as she turned into their shared room, grabbing her by the shoulder and closing the door behind them. He wrapped her in a hug, startling Kyoko who had completely lost Setsu's spirit.

"Setsu, I was wrong. It was probably just kindness to animals, but I shouldn't have touched another woman. I won't do it again," Cain said as he hugged her. Setsu didn't turn to look up at Cain since Kyoko's brain was short-circuiting in his embrace.

"Setsu? Are you still angry at what happened earlier?"

Kyoko turned to look up at Cain and pushed him off her. "I'm not angry," She lied. Kuon reached out his hand to caress her face, and tilted her chin up to look at her beautiful face.

Kuon realized by her puffy eyes and her flushed cheeks that she had been crying. He was shocked. Why had Setsu been crying? It just didn't seem like it was in character for Setsu. Unless these were Kyoko's tears. But why would Kyoko be crying?

Kyoko watched as Kuon tried to understand why she had been crying. She looked into his grey eyes and wished she could see his true eyes. The emerald eyes she had come to know from him weren't his true eyes. She had taken his eyes and given them to Sho, all in the name of protecting him. But all she had accomplished was hurting Ren to the point that he jumped off Korosu Terrace. She did not deserve him at all after what she had done to him.

But every time she looked into his eyes, she felt her heart still drawn towards him. She couldn't stop herself from loving him. No matter how hard she tried over the years, she could never move on. His face had haunted her dreams almost every single night. Kyoko admired his handsome face, staring at his lips and remembering the dreams she had over the 300 years he had been gone. His lips were mesmerizing to her, and she found herself slowly rising on her toes towards him until she brushed her lips lightly on his own. If this was the last time she could have him all to herself as Setsu, she would utilize this opportunity for all it was worth.

As Kuon's lips parted in a gasp, Kyoko wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again fervently. The heat of his body against hers intoxicated her, and she kissed him with all the ardor that had been chained up in her heart for the past 300 years without him. She had many dreams over the years of his lips against hers, but none could compare to the real thing. That little peck that he had given her when he had been drunk did not even come close to all to the warmth spreading through her body as she explored his mouth with her own.

Kuon didn't know what had brought on this kiss, but he didn't care. All he could focus on was the feel of Kyoko's lips on his own. As her lips danced with his own, he felt as if a piece of himself that he had been missing clicked into place. He groaned low in his throat as their tongues met for an instant before Kyoko realized what she had done and immediately pulled away. Her love-fogged brain had taken over, and she was horrified at what she had done. Kyoko's spirit floated out of her body, but luckily Setsu's spirit quickly replaced it.

"I'm not angry anymore, Nii-san. That hamster might get a pat on the head, but I know that you'll never let her kiss you like I can. You're mine," Setsu smirked possessively, giving him a small peck on the cheek. Kuon felt his heart shatter as he realized that it had been Setsu, not Kyoko, kissing him to make a point. He felt stupid for believing that Kyoko would ever kiss him like that. She had probably thought of her late husband when kissing him as Setsu, and it made him sick to think about it.

"I'm going to take a nap before our meeting, Setsu," Kuon declared, stalking over to one of the beds and wrapping the blankets around himself in a cocoon. He tried to forget the feel of her, her scent filling the air around him. He tried to forget the feel of her lips against his own and how right it had felt. Torture. That's what this was. Having her so close to him yet feeling even more distant from her since she was Setsu.

Kyoko walked over to her own bed and looked at him sadly, wishing that she could have just told him the truth instead of using Setsu as an excuse. She loved him. She wanted to be with him. But she couldn't be with him. She did not deserve him. If he ever found out about their past, he would hate her for eternity.

…

"Why the hell are they late again?! I told them to not be late!" Murasame complained. Seated around the meeting room were Murasame, Manaka, and Vie Ghoul.

"It doesn't matter. As long as he gets the job done, it doesn't matter if he's late to the meetings," Miroku waved him off. Murasame grumbled and flagged over a servant.

"Go to the Heel siblings' room and bang on their door until they answer. Drag them here if you have to," Murasame ordered before the Heel siblings walked through the door.

"They've finally arrived. We can start the meeting," Kiyora announced. Miroku looked the siblings and wondered if maybe he had seen them before. They looked very familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on where he had seen them before.

"Who's the girl? I thought you hired an assassin?" Shizuru wondered, pointing to Setsu.

"I follow Nii-san wherever he goes. If you want him to be your assassin, I'll help too for the price of one," Setsu smirked.

"Fair enough, though Heel-san seems to be enough," Dasuku replied. Cain and Setsu took seats next to each other at the long meeting table, leaving a distance between them and everyone else. However, Cain also subtly left a distance between himself and Setsu that wasn't noticeable to anyone except Kyoko who knew that he was still angry at her for going too far earlier no matter what he told her.

"All of this information you are about to hear is classified. You are not to speak of it outside of this room," Murasame ordered. Cain nodded half-heartedly. "I don't care about what this is about. As long as I get paid in the end, it doesn't matter the reason why I'm killing people," Cain replied. Murasame reddened in anger at his attitude, but Kiyora had enough sense to start the meeting before Murasame could leap across the table to attack Cain.

"First things first. Status report on the chicken rock. It seems to be a fake. We tried every single method recorded to use it, but nothing worked. The High God must have switched it out, maybe giving it to one of his disciples. However, that doesn't matter anymore since we have discovered a weakness to the spells imprisoning Reino," Kiyora announced, motioning for Shizuru to take over.

"While reading scrolls on the battle that ended the war 70,000 years ago, I found that each of High God Rick's ten disciples added part of their magic to the imprisonment spell on Reino's prison. As all of you know, when an immortal is killed, any magic that they cast disappears from this world. Based on this, if any Rick's disciples were to be killed, the magic around Reino's prison would weaken. One example was the death of Morizumi Kimiko. She cast one of the teleportation barriers outside of the Far Sea prison, and that barrier ceased to exist when she vaporized. The Sky Kingdom has recently cast new barrier spells to replace it, but the spells are not as strong as they were before since the spells have been cast by weak militant immortals," Shizuru explained.

"Since we have a new mercenary, we can send him to assassinate these disciples and do our dirty work without fear of us being captured. I believe that after at least 50% of the disciples are dealt with, the prison should be weak enough to break King Reino out, even without the magical chicken artifact. In addition, it's possible that we might even be able to find that one of the disciples has that time-controlling chicken," Kiyora finished. Kyoko noticed Kuon slightly stiffen, but no one else would be able to notice his small reaction unless they were right next to him. By his reaction, Kyoko could deduce that he was the one who Rick had given the time-controlling chicken to. Perhaps it was that one chicken in his garden that had started squawking wildly and alerted Kuon to the intruders in Rick's tomb.

"So we need to get rid of five of the disciples. Morizumi Kimiko is already gone, so that means we only need four more," Manaka connected the dots.

"I think that we should first go for Hiromune Koga. He was the senior disciple. It's probable that High God Rick entrusted him with the precious artifact," Murasame suggested.

"He would be the hardest to take out without raising suspicion since he is of such high ranking. He's next in line to take over the throne of the Earth Kingdom. The only disciple of higher status would be Hizuri Kuon, the king of the Fairy Kingdom, but there's no way we're going after him again. The Crown Princess is keeping too close a guard on him. If we go against him without proper preparation, then the Sky Palace will declare war on us without hesitation for trying to attack the future Heavenly Emperor," Miroku said.

"Let's not go for Hizuri Kuon then. But I still believe it's better to get rid of Hiromune Koga first. He must have put a crucial spell on the seal of King Reino since he was the senior disciple. If we don't kill him first, then he'll be on alert right when we kill another disciple," Kiyora agreed. The remaining members of Vie Ghoul nodded around the table, and Miroku had to concede to them.

"Heel-san, we're entrusting you with the assassination of Hiromune Koga. You can bring your little sister, but just make sure the job is done. We'll know when the prison loses its defenses that it's finished," Dasuku ordered him. Cain nodded and stood up.

"Hey, wait! We aren't finished with our meeting yet!" Murasame yelled.

"Murasame-san, we don't need to discuss the rest of the plan with Heel-san here. He's heard all that he needs to know," Miroku spoke, waving Cain off. Cain nodded and dragged his sister out of the room, towards their own private room so that they could discuss their own plan in secret. Even if Kuon did not want to bring up any memories of that kiss by speaking with her, he had a job to do.

* * *

 **Ahhh, 40 chapters done already and 201 reviews! I didn't expect this story to go on this long, and I still expect there to be 2 more arcs until I actually finish this story in addition to this one, although those should not be as long I think. I hope you stick around with me until the end!**

 **Erza-** I'm happy you found the Heels to be cute last chapter! Although, they're getting pretty dangerous, and if this chapter was any indication, the Heels are taking a toll on Kyoko and Kuon. Thank you for your review!

 **Paulagato-** Glad you found last chapter entertaining! I hope the Heels were also entertaining this chapter, although they aren't sharing a bed anymore. However, I feel like Kyoko and Kuon need a bit of distance after what happened this chapter... It will be a while until they return to the Sky Palace, but don't worry. Hana is well taken care of, and she has many people who care about her. She will be fine :). Thanks for reviewing!

 **H-Nala-** I'm happy that my sleepwear version of the shopping trip worked out! I wanted to do something different from canon, and the sleepwear thing seemed totally in character for Setsu ;). Thank you for your review!

 **Ivy401-** It's great that you liked last chapter, and I hope to see photos if you end up drawing them! Thank you for your lovely comments as always.

 **JeremyVD-** Who doesn't love the Heel sibling arc XD? I'm touched that you equate Kyoko's appearance in the Ghost Kingdom in my fic with the manga because I was really nervous about writing the Heel siblings and doing them justice. I didn't initially plan on writing chapters about Hana's adventures while her parents are away, but I thought about it after reading your comment. I tried to think about how I could fit it into my outline, but I don't think I can fit it in the main story without breaking the flow of the plot. However, I think I might put it as an omake after the main storyline is done! Thank you for the idea!


	41. Chapter 41

**Sorry for the delay, but here's chapter 41!**

* * *

Once alone inside their room, Kuon immediately cast a sound barrier, and Kyoko cast one as well for good measure. Kuon turned to Kyoko, trying to put what had happened earlier behind him to talk about the mission; however, it wasn't easy when he had such a hard time looking her in the face without remembering the feel of her lips against his own.

"You're not actually going to kill Hiromune-san, right?" Kyoko wondered, bringing him out of his trance from her enticing lips. He cleared his throat, trying to clear the memory of her lips from his head.

"No, of course not. Even if he hated me to the core when we trained together, that doesn't mean I would feel any pleasure in killing him. However, they will know if I don't kill him since the magical barrier he cast will still be around King Reino's prison. I have to go explain the situation to Koga-san and persuade him to get rid of the freezing spell he cast on King Reino and go into hiding. With only two of our binding spells dissipated, the remaining spells imprisoning King Reino will still be strong enough to hold him until we defeat this threat. Do you know where we could hide Koga-san so that they think he has been killed?" Kuon wondered. Kyoko nodded.

"In the Sky Palace, there is a prison for high-ranking criminals. It has all of the necessary protection spells around it and would be comfortable enough for him to stay in until we can figure out how to stop Vie Ghoul. The guards there are the best of the best, and they are absolutely trustworthy in keeping it a secret."

"That's good. We'll need to recast the freezing spell on King Reino that Hiromune-san will take off. I think Vie Ghoul wouldn't suspect anything if the Crown Princess redid all the barriers as they are taken down. Can you alert the guards in the Sky Palace to our new occupant and cast the freezing spell while I meet with Koga-san? I'll take Koga-san to the Hall of Radiance when he's agreed to the plan so that you can lead the way to the hideout," Kuon said. He could have let Kyoko come along with him to see Koga, but he was worried that Koga would try to make a move on her if he did. It was better to just keep him away from her. Kyoko nodded to his plan, changing her appearance back to how she usually dressed as the Crown Princess. Her auburn hair and pink robe was a sight for sore eyes for Kuon, and he couldn't help but smile at the cute flower hair pin that she had put in her hair to complete her appearance. She teleported away to the Far Sea as Kuon teleported to the Earth Kingdom as Cain.

…

When Kyoko arrived at the Far Sea prison, the guards outside were very cautious in letting her inside. This was good. If they wouldn't even let her in without an insane number of inspections, then they would be even more wary with potential invaders.

After a long series of inspections to make sure she was indeed the Crown Princess, Kyoko stepped inside the cave holding King Reino. This was the first time she had ever been in the prison itself. She immediately felt the air get colder around her, but she deduced that it was probably due to the ice encasing him.

Kyoko approached the large block of ice encasing Reino in the cave. As if the ice wasn't enough, Reino was also magically bound in place and chained to the ground with the most powerful locks in existence. Still, Kyoko couldn't help but feel as if everything was still not enough to hold him.

"Maybe I should add another barrier spell just in case..." Kyoko thought aloud.

"That wouldn't stop me."

Kyoko turned her head backwards to see which guard had spoken but saw no one behind her. When she looked at the man inside the ice, she was shocked to find that the top of the ice encasing Reino's head had melted off. His violet eyes pierced her own, and she felt a shiver of fear go down her spine.

"H-how did you melt the ice?!" Kyoko wondered.

"You can learn a lot in 70,000 years, Crown Princess," Reino smirked.

"How did you know who I am?"

"I've seen you through Miroku's eyes. Who knew that such a young immortal would be able to dispatch my friends so easily?"

"Through Miroku's eyes?"

"Of course. You think I would let myself get captured without any means of seeing the outside world?"

"It's not possible..."

"Maybe not for you, but I have some special abilities," Reino smirked secretly. Kyoko gasped as one of her hairpins flew through the air and landed on the ice encasing Reino's right hand. He closed his eyes for a moment before the pin dropped to the ground just as quickly as it had soared through the air towards him. Kyoko ran up to snatch the hairpin off the floor, glaring at him. She immediately pointed her finger at him, casting a spell that put a magical barrier around him that shielded his powers from affecting anything outside the barrier.

"It's good that I came here today to make sure your prison is still working," Kyoko frowned, putting her hairpin back in her hair.

"You might have disabled my powers, Crown Princess, but I already learned everything I need to know about you. Who knew that the Crown Princess had such a bad relationship with her mother?" Reino grinned, causing Kyoko to freeze in shock at his words.

"I like this expression. It's so alert," Reino smirked. Kyoko felt her body go numb in his gaze, and her heart started to beat faster in fear of the immortal in front of her. Why couldn't she move? Was he freezing her in place with magic? But that wasn't possible since she had already disabled his magic...

"Who knew you were this interesting? I've never met anyone who could control their grudge spirits..."

"Y-You can see them too?" Kyoko dropped her jaw in shock.

"Normal immortals wouldn't be able to, but you and I can see them. When I get out of this prison, maybe I can teach you how to harness their power fully," Reino smirked.

"You will never get out of this prison," Kyoko growled, remembering who she was speaking to.

"I will. One day, I'll break free, and I'll take everything away from that Hizuri Kuon. Including you," Reino grinned wickedly. Kyoko's face paled.

"It really makes one excited just thinking about his expressionless face when I rip everything he loves away from him again."

"Why would you want to do these things? Do you hold an inexplicable hatred towards him?" Kyoko wondered.

"Not one bit. I just think it was amusing to see Hizuri Kuon's expression as I ran his master in with my blade. He had such an ugly expression as everything he held dear was chased into destruction. His crying yet tearless face as he looked at me in such anger was the most beautiful expression I've ever seen. It was a shame they locked me up before I could see more."

Kyoko regained control of her body and took a few steps back from Reino, breaking her gaze from his. Her grudges peeked out from her shoulders as her anger boiled up. "I will never let you hurt Kuon again," Kyoko growled, casting a spell of ice over Reino's head and freezing him inside the ice. When she looked up again, she found his face frozen in a grin, but at least he was no longer speaking.

She sighed in relief and set to work fortifying each magical barrier that Rick's disciples had put on Reino's prison. Kyoko couldn't imagine what would happen if he escaped. If he had been able to affect her like that without his powers, there was no telling what he could do if he had full use of them. Once she was satisfied with the magical barriers around Reino, she teleported herself to the Sky Palace to tell the guards of Koga's arrival and wait in the Hall of Radiance until Kuon returned, wondering if she should tell him what had happened when she saw him next.

…

Kuon perched on the roof of the Earth Palace, trying to stay hidden from the guards. He knew that there was a secret passageway to Koga's room here since he had gone through it many times tens of thousands of years before. Kijima and him used to pull pranks on Koga, and Kuon hoped that Koga hadn't boarded up his means of entry in the years since.

Kuon saw the irregularly painted tile on the roof and removed it, exposing the room underneath. Kuon quietly cast a shrinking spell on himself and fell down the hole, making himself the right size again once he was in Koga's room. He quickly maneuvered into the shadows of Koga's armoire, sighing in relief that Koga had never patched up that hole. In a stroke of luck, Koga entered the room seconds later, oblivious to Kuon's presence until after he closed the door. It was then that Kuon stepped out of the shadows, locking the door. He jumped at Koga's back and clamped a hand over his mouth to stop him from crying out as he struggled against him.

"Koga-san, it's me, Kuon," Kuon whispered into his ear, shedding his Cain persona. Koga immediately stopped his struggle and looked behind him to see his least favorite disciple. He groaned and pushed Kuon off him with a gust of magic, tossing him onto the bed.

"Could you have given me any warning that you were coming? Why did you have to disguise yourself?" Koga whispered back with a frown.

"Look, I know we haven't exactly seen eye-to-eye in the past, but I'm here to save your life," Kuon said, falling into his explanation about what Vie Ghoul's plan was. Throughout his explanation, Koga's frown deepened.

"I understand what you're saying, but honestly, why can't I help more? You just want to come out of this as the sole hero of the Heavens, don't you?"

"No, I don't! I just know that it's my duty as one of Master Rick's disciples to ensure the peace of the Heavens. It's possible that we are heading towards a war, Koga-san. I will do anything in my power to stop King Reino from breaking free."

"Somehow, it pisses me off even more that you don't have an ulterior motive. Fine, I'll go along with your plan, but what's your plan for the other disciples that Vie Ghoul orders you to kill? Won't the spells binding King Reino really become too weak to hold him if you ask everyone else to take their barriers down?"

"I've asked the Crown Princess to make sure new spells are cast in their place."

"Sure, but you know yourself that the spells won't be as strong. The anger we felt at King Reino for killing our master that day we cast the barriers increased the strength of our spells that day."

"Mogami-san's spells will hold him long enough so that we can stage a capture of Vie Ghoul, Murasame-san, and Manaka-chan. After that, we can all add new barriers to the prison to make sure he has no chance of escaping."

"I hope you're right, Kuon," Koga sighed.

"So are you going to get rid of the spell?" Kuon wondered. Koga nodded, sitting down on the bed, closing his eyes, and focusing on the spell he had cast 70,000 years ago in the Far Sea. When he opened his eyes, they shone a bright blue for a second before turning back to Koga's natural eye color.

"It's done. Now where did you say you're taking me?" Koga wondered. Kuon took his hand and teleported them to the Hall of Radiance. Koga immediately dropped Kuon's hand in disgust and wiped it on his robe.

"Hiromune-san, I presume?"

Koga looked up to see one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. Was this the fabled Crown Princess?

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Koga smiled sincerely. Kuon narrowed his eyes at him. Although he had no reason earlier to harbor any hatred towards Koga, he would if he made any moves towards Kyoko.

"Has Kuon already told you everything?" Kyoko wondered. Koga nodded, suddenly hating Kuon even more than before. Every single time, Kuon would always get the girl! It was so infuriating!

"Then follow me, please," Kyoko bowed. She turned back and whispered in Kuon's ear hurriedly, "I'll meet you back here soon so that we can return to the Ghost Kingdom as Cain and Setsu."

Kyoko ran in front of Koga and began to walk out of the Hall of Radiance, not hearing Koga's last words to Kuon before he left. "Don't think that my compliance means that I've forgiven you, you cold-hearted, bloodthirsty murderer."

Kuon stiffened at Koga's words and went to sit down on the bed. Of course, it was only natural for Koga to hate him for causing Master Rick to die, and his words were the same words that Kuon had told himself over the years. He was a murderer. What if this was why he had been able to slip into Cain Heel's character so easily?

The cries of Tina echoed in Kuon's head. " _Murderer! I will never forgive you!"_ Kuon clenched his wrist. He was truly a cold-hearted, bloodthirsty murderer. How could he have forgotten what he must remember for the rest of his life?

…

Once Kyoko had returned to the Hall of Radiance, she saw Kuon deep in thought on the bed. She raised an eyebrow at his sudden mood change, but he faked a smile when he realized she returned. She was still debating whether or not to tell him what had happened with Reino. It wasn't as if they weren't already doing all they could to make sure Reino never escaped his prison. Would telling him be a waste of time? He already seemed to be troubled, and she didn't want to add to his troubles with her small problems. While she was thinking, Kuon cast a spell to return both of their disguises and took her hand, teleporting them to the Heel Siblings' room in the Ghost Kingdom.

"Setsu, let's go tell them that we've finished their mission," Kuon said, immediately slipping into the character of Cain. Kyoko looked down at her appearance as Setsu and decided that she wouldn't tell him about Reino. It wasn't that important.

Kuon looked down at the girl he loved and realized that she was the reason he had forgotten the vow he made to Rick. How could he have forgotten that he was a murderer? Was it really possible to love Kyoko if her presence made him forget the horrible things he had done? The memories were his punishment, and he would be betraying Rick if he let her distract him from-

"Nii-san, is something wrong?" Setsu asked, wondering why he was clenching his wrist almost tight enough to draw blood.

"No. Come on, Setsu," Cain said, pulling her by the arm. She dug her feet into the floor and yanked her hand out of his grasp, stopping him from dragging her out of the room.

"I'm not going with you until you tell me what's making you act like this," Setsu pouted.

"I already told you. There's nothing wrong with me," Cain said harshly, grabbing her arm again.

"No! There's something wrong with my Nii-san, and I want to know what it is!" Setsu retorted. Cain didn't respond, but he didn't forcibly grab her arm again either.

"I heard Hiromune-san mumble something before he left. What did he say?" Kyoko wondered. Kuon sighed, knowing that she would not put this matter to rest until he said something in response. Kuon cast a sound barrier around the room before stalking over to the bed and putting his head in his hands.

"He said that he would never forgive me since I was a cold-hearted, bloodthirsty murderer," Kuon whispered quietly, closing his eyes as the images of Rick's death flooded into his mind. Kyoko's eyes softened at the hurt she heard in his voice, and she immediately went to his side, sitting down next to him on the bed.

"You are not a murderer."

"I am. I murdered my master in my stupidity. Koga-san knew the truth, that's why he said it," Kuon choked out. Kyoko wrapped one of his hands in her own and squeezed it. Kuon looked down at their intertwined hands and remembered where he was. Right now, he was Cain Heel. This was his sister Setsu, not Kyoko soothing him. The concern in her eyes was part of her character.

"Nii-san, you are not a murderer. You were not the one who ran your blade through your master," Setsu wrapped her arms around him, snuggling into his side. Kuon couldn't take this anymore. He pushed her off of him and rose up off the bed, not able to stand the false care that she was showing him. He wanted this to be real. He wanted Kyoko to love him like he loved her, but this wasn't her right now. He had to get it through his head that this was Setsu, not Kyoko. Any affection she was showing him was Setsu's, not her own. And it wasn't as if he could let her soothe him anyways. He could not let himself forget what he had done to Rick. Her presence right now was causing him to forget what he must always remember for the rest of his life.

"I'm going to take a bath," Kuon announced, walking to the bathroom and closing the door behind him before Kyoko could stop him. Kyoko looked at the closed door and wondered what she had done wrong when she grabbed his hand. Maybe this was his way of telling her he needed space and that she had been clinging to him too much recently. Inside the bathroom, Kuon rolled up his right sleeve and pressed his left hand to the scar there, closing his eyes as his traumatic memories threatened to eat him alive.

* * *

 **Again, sorry for making you guys wait an extra week for this chapter. I originally didn't include the Reino scene, so it took me time to write out the whole scene since I wanted to make sure Kyoko and Reino's first meeting sets up some plot points for later. Instead of Reino wanting to take away everything from Sho, I modified Reino to want to take away all of Kuon's happiness instead, and he's not scared of Kuon since it just didn't make sense in the context of this story. Compared to canon, Reino is a lot more powerful here, and we'll have to see just how much havoc he can cause with that power...**

 **Erza-** I can't believe you've been here since chapter 3! Thank you for supporting my story for so long! You're right that things are really starting to get intense, both with Kyoko and Kuon's relationship and the Reino problem. There will be lots of KyokoxKuon action coming up, and I feel you. Every single month, I always keep hope that there will be a cute KyokoxRen moment in the manga, but it's really rare, sigh.

 **brennakai-** They really are. Every single time, they always fall into some sort of misunderstanding that widens the gap between them. Everything could be solved if they just had a conversation.

 **Paulagato-** Kuon's not killing anyone, but he's heading into dangerous territory if Vie Ghoul ever finds out he's not actually doing his job...

 **Ivy401-** Glad you liked last chapter, and I'm excited to see the drawing whenever you finish it!

 **H-Nala-** They won't be away for too much longer (2-3 more chapters), so I don't know if that's enough for a spinoff with Hana-chan. I _have_ decided to include Hana telling them what she was up to while they were gone though, although it will probably only take up part of one chapter. And don't worry, I'm not using Sho to push them together. He's already done enough damage in this story. They will talk it out very soon ;).

 **Coolestbee-** I'm glad that Kyoko's jealousy stood out last chapter and that the characters were all in character! It's difficult sometimes to progress the plot while making sure the characters are all in character, but I'm happy that it worked out last chapter!


	42. Chapter 42

**Sorry for the long wait again! Honestly, I keep updating every two weeks due to my busy schedule, so I might as well change updates to every other weekend instead of always being late. I hope this extra long chapter makes up for it though...**

* * *

Kyoko watched the door of the bathroom forlornly, wondering if Kuon was going to be okay. It wasn't as if her words could fix all of the grief that ravaged his soul. But still, she wished that there was at least some way for her to comfort him.

Kyoko felt her stomach growl and realized that it was already so late in the day, and they still hadn't even eaten dinner yet. As long as Kuon was still taking a bath, she could at least go out and grab them some dinner. Taking one last glance at the closed bathroom door, Kyoko left their room, heading to the palace kitchen to grab some food.

Inside the bathroom, Kuon had drawn up a bath, and he was lost in thought as he soaked in it, clenching his wrist tightly. When Kyoko was with him, Kuon felt like he might forget what he must remember for the rest of his life. It was too much for him to have her so close to him but have such an emotional divide between them due to her hiding her true self behind the character of Setsu. Maybe it would be better if he just sent her away. It wouldn't be weird if Setsu's character went to go live with a relative for the remainder of his stay in the Ghost Palace, but he would have to be the one to tell her he didn't want her there anymore, and he didn't think he would be able to do that. But every moment that he spent with her lessened the vow he made to Rick. Both Rick and Kyoko were very important to him. But if he had to choose one over the other…

Kuon looked down at the sudden sting in his wrist to see that he had been clutching his wrist so tightly that it had drawn blood. With his attention now drawn to his hand, he realized that his fingers had become pruny after he had been soaking in the bath for so long. Kuon stood up and materialized a towel to dry off, waving his hand to clear the water from the bath away with magic. Once he had dried himself, Kuon put on his sleepwear with his powers and exited the bathroom.

He looked over at Kyoko's bed and realized that she wasn't in the room, and a sudden panic swept through him. Where could she have gone? Kuon opened the door of their room to look into the hallway, looking both ways to see if he could spot her. He saw a girl coming towards him and sighed in relief when he saw that it was Kyoko. Kuon stepped out of the room and turned towards her. As she approached him, her eyes widened in surprise.

"Nii-san, what's wrong? Why did you come out of the room?" Setsu wondered, a bowl of dinner in each of her hands.

"Where did you go?"

"I went to grab us some dinner…"

"If you're going outside, then let me come with you. Don't leave me alone," Kuon looked down like a lost puppy. Setsu's spirit flew away from Kyoko, and she gaped her mouth in surprise at his words and expression. "I'm sorry," She found herself saying.

"It's fine now. Come," Kuon said, opening his arms for her. She froze, not understanding what he was implying. He wanted her to come? From the way his arms were outstretched, did he want to embrace her? She couldn't help but think Kuon looked like he might vanish completely into thin air if she didn't go to him...

"Setsu," Kuon repeated. She slowly approached him, using her magic to teleport the bowls in her hands to the table inside their room. When she was directly in front of him, Kuon enveloped his arms around her, and she could feel the chills and unceasing trembling of his body as he embraced her. Kyoko's eyes softened, and she hugged him back.

Before she knew it, he had released her and was pulling her into their shared room away from prying eyes. Once inside, he sat down at their small table, materializing chopsticks in his hand to start eating the dinner she had brought. She silently sat in the chair across from him, doing the same.

When they were finished with their silent dinner, Kuon grabbed her hand and led her to his bed. He lied down wordlessly, tossing back the covers for her to do the same. Kyoko's eyes widened in surprise, but she complied and lied down next to him. No, surely he didn't want to do _that_ with her... Her heart started to beat rapidly as his arm wrapped around her, and she found herself waiting in anticipation for something else to happen.

However, after a while, Kyoko noticed that Kuon's breathing had evened out, and he wasn't trembling anymore. She turned towards him, and she found that he had fallen asleep, although she noticed that his face was contorted in pain as if he was having a bad dream. She leaned her head up to softly kiss him on the cheek, and his face softened slightly at her light peck.

Could she hope that she was special to him? Why else would he seek out comfort from her?

Miroku watched the Heel siblings closely as they separated from their hug and went into their room together. Ever since he had met them, he had found them a bit off. To him, it almost seemed as if they were lovers.

 _Very suspicious indeed._

"King Reino, it's been a while since you popped into my head," Miroku chuckled, having felt a bit lonely without his friend's voice in his head.

 _Miroku, I want you to sneak an aphrodisiac into the Heel siblings' meals._

Miroku's eyes widened in surprise. "You want me to make the siblings fall in love romantically with each other?!"

 _They aren't siblings._

Miroku's eyes darkened. He had that suspicion as well, and it was good to know that Reino was voicing the same suspicions and that he wasn't alone in his thoughts.

 _Start to put an aphrodisiac in all of their meals. After a while when they're too distracted with each other, slip some Yowamaru Potion in their meals instead._

"The weakening potion? Your Majesty, I thought we were saving that for use on the royal family once you escaped? We don't have that much of it left, and it's very powerful to be able to subdue one's magical powers even for a short duration of time."

 _That's why I want you to use it on them. That girl is the Crown Princess. She's trying to trick you into thinking that all the barriers around my prison are being broken, but she's putting them back up as they fall. If you take out her magic, then all the barriers will fall, and I'll be free again._

So that's where he had seen her before. He knew she had looked familiar. This time, she wouldn't beat Vie Ghoul if he had anything to do with it. "Then I will carry out your orders, Your Majesty," Miroku grinned.

When Setsu and Cain woke up the next morning, they spoke nothing of what had happened last night. Kuon had woken up before Kyoko and acted like normal, so Kyoko had followed suit. She didn't want to press him on the subject, and she wouldn't bring it up herself. She just had to act like Setsu normally would.

"Nii-san, why did you sleep with wet hair? Now you have all of these hairs sticking up," Setsu said, splaying her fingers in his hair and touching the strands of bed head.

"My hair usually has cowlicks anyways," Cain replied. Setsu only sighed and waved her hand, causing his bed head to smooth out and leave the regular cowlicks in his hair. Cain smiled slightly in amusement as she took his hand in her own and led them to the palace kitchen.

No matter what she did, Setsu couldn't get Cain to eat more than a small bowl of miso soup for breakfast. He said he didn't feel hungry, so she was left to finish off the rest of their meal by herself. Maybe she hadn't noticed it before, but the food in the Ghost Kingdom tasted a bit different than usual.

After eating breakfast, the Heel siblings made their way to the meeting room they had previously met Vie Ghoul in to report the death of Hiromune Koga. Along the way, Kyoko couldn't help but keep glancing over to Cain's chest, remembering the muscular torso under his robes that he had embraced her against the night before.

This was a dangerous train of thought for her. Last time, she had gotten carried away and kissed him. She couldn't let that happen again!

Kyoko was relieved when they finally arrived at the meeting room to find Vie Ghoul waiting for them. She explained what Cain had completed in his stead, knowing that Cain as a character was not much of a talker.

"Now that he's gone, we'll send you to kill Matsunai Ruriko next." Miroku replied after her explanation. Cain nodded and stood up, turning to leave the room.

"Before you leave, I also want to tell you your next targets. You don't have to meet again with us until you kill Momose Itsumi and Hidehito Kijima as well," Miroku added. Cain nodded in understanding and left the room with his sister while Murasame and Manaka left as well to discuss matters regarding their kingdom, leaving Vie Ghoul alone in the room to talk amongst themselves.

"Hey, do you guys think it was just a bit too easy for the Heel siblings to dispose of Hiromune Koga? Our spy in the Earth Kingdom reported that there were no signs that suggested any fight between Hiromune Koga and his assassin. They didn't find any trace of blood either. It was almost as if Koga just vanished into thin air," Kiyora voiced his worries.

"It's good that he didn't leave any traces behind. That makes it harder for them to pin the murder on him," Shizuru waved it off.

"As long as they are getting the job done, it doesn't matter how he disposes of his victim," Dasuku added. Kiyora wondered what Miroku thought and looked over to see Miroku lost in thought.

"Hey Miroku, since you thought that Hizuri Kuon was most likely to have the chicken artifact, why didn't you send the Heel siblings to kill him?" Kiyora wondered.

"Rewards come to those who wait…" Miroku smiled cryptically.

Cain and Setsu teleported to the Wind Kingdom to find Matsunai Ruriko, the second oldest princess of the royal family of the Wind Kingdom. Kyoko had never been to the Wind Kingdom before, so she was surprised at how the wind there sounded like bell tolls. They walked through the daily market hand-in-hand before Cain led her into a secluded alleyway.

"I think it would be best to switch back to our normal personalities to meet with Ruriko-chan," Cain suggested. Kyoko nodded, shedding both of their disguises with a flick of her hand. As she looked at Kuon, she felt her mouth go dry at how handsome and radiant he was after she hadn't seen him in his natural state for so long. What was going on with her today?

"Mogami-san?" Kuon said her name, bringing her out of her trance.

"You trained with her, so I trust your judgement," Kyoko replied, trying to hide a blush of embarrassment for being distracted by him. She watched confusedly as Kuon frowned. What kind of a reaction was that? Did they have a special relationship together in the past that went sour?

Kuon and Kyoko walked together to the front gates of the Wind Palace and told the guards that they were there to see Ruriko. They waited as their presence was announced to Ruriko, and after a very short time, Ruriko came out to greet them.

"Hizuri-san! It's a pleasure to see you again!" Ruriko beamed.

"Ruriko-chan," Kuon smiled back politely. She eagerly grabbed his sleeve and led him into the palace, not noticing Kyoko at all. Kyoko wondered for a second if Ruriko had even seen her; however, Kyoko suddenly felt a sudden wave of hatred emitting from Ruriko towards her, her grudges coming out to bask in the glorious emotion. Why did Ruriko seem to hate her like this? She had done nothing for Ruriko to dislike her! She had just met her! She hadn't even exchanged one word with her yet!

Ruriko led the pair to a private meeting room with a small 4-person table and smiled sweetly at Kuon. "Would you like me to prepare any tea for you?"

"No, it's not necessary," Kuon replied, taking a seat. Kyoko was about to take the seat next to him, but Ruriko dashed and sat down in it before her, smirking smugly at her victory. Kyoko was forced to take a seat on the other side of the table across from Kuon instead.

"Ruriko-chan, I need to ask you to take down your protection barrier on King Reino's prison," Kuon said, immediately launching into the main topic.

"What? Why would I ever do that?" Ruriko wondered.

"King Reino's loyal supporters, Vie Ghoul, are planning to kill some of Master Rick's disciples to lessen the chains on his prison. You're their next target," Kyoko said. Ruriko, acting as if she had just noticed Kyoko's presence for the first time, turned to Kuon. "Is this true?"

"Yes. You might not have heard it yet, but word is spreading about how Hiromune-san was assassinated yesterday in the Earth Kingdom. However, he's still alive and in hiding in the Sky Palace since we were the ones to fake his death," Kuon explained.

"So you want me to abandon my luxuries as a princess here in the Wind Kingdom and go into hiding for who knows how long? Why would I ever do that?"

"Ruriko-chan, we're doing our best to make the accommodations in the Sky Palace comfortable. Our servants there have been alerted to attend to our guests as if they were residents of the Sky Palace themselves. If you don't comply with our demands and instead choose to expose our cover, we can't guarantee that the next Ghost Kingdom mercenary that they order to kill you will be so merciful," Kyoko responded, causing Ruriko to pale.

"Fine. You want me to fake my own death, right? How do you want to do this?" Ruriko frowned.

"Help! Somebody help!"

As people turned around the corner, they saw a puff of smoke and their princess falling to the floor, vaporizing in smoke. Left standing was a dark figure with the eyes of a true killer. He glanced at the people for a second before teleporting away, running away from the scene. People cried that their princess had been assassinated, but Kyoko and Ruriko had already teleported safe and soundly to the Sky Palace, their fake murder scene having worked.

"Hm, I would have expected the Sky Palace to be more extravagant," Ruriko said arrogantly, but Kyoko ignored her comment. She would be meeting Kuon at the Hall of Radiance once she dropped Ruriko off at her new accommodations. He was on his way to the Water Kingdom to speak with Kijima and Momose. After she dropped off Ruriko, Kyoko would head to the Far Sea to strengthen the barriers around Reino's prison yet again.

"Where are you taking me anyways?" Ruriko asked.

"We just have to climb these steps, and we'll be there," Kyoko replied, pointing to a long staircase leading to a secluded building.

"You expect me to walk all the way up there in this sun?! Why didn't you just teleport us up there?!" Ruriko complained.

"There's a teleportation barrier around it for security reasons."

"I don't want to walk all the way up there," Ruriko smirked, sitting down on the ground.

"Ruriko-chan, we've already faked your death, and this is the only place in the Sky Palace where no one will be able to find you. Here, I'll even give you an umbrella to block the sun," Kyoko replied, materializing a parasol. Ruriko took the parasol and sighed, beginning to climb up the steps. Kyoko smiled triumphantly, following her up, but after fifty steps, Ruriko broke down on the staircase.

"I can't walk anymore! It's so tiring! I can't take another step!"

"You're tired already?!"

"I didn't do any strenuous exercise when I was young," Ruriko sniffled dramatically. Kyoko groaned. If Ruriko was not going to comply, she was just going to have to get her there herself.

"Fine. I'll carry you," Kyoko said, holding her back out for Ruriko to jump onto. Ruriko smirked and accepted the piggy back ride. With Ruriko on her back, Kyoko took one step up and realized that Ruriko was much heavier than she had initially expected. Her legs started to shake from the weight, but Kyoko persevered and took another step up. Only forty more steps to go.

"You know, Hizuri-san and I were really close when we were training together. I remember when he first came to Goraku Mountain. He was so cute, so of course I said yes when he asked me to be his girlfriend," Ruriko grinned. Kyoko froze and stopped her climbing for a second, and Ruriko knew that she had gotten under her skin. Kyoko took another step. Only twenty more. She could do this. She just had to ignore Ruriko's words.

"It's unfortunate that we were just so young and inexperienced that our relationship didn't work out. Hizuri-san said that he's also visiting Momose-san, right? I wonder how Hizuri-san will react to meeting her again after all these years. He started dating her a few years after we broke up, and they were together for a long time. Now that I think about it, their relationship never actually ended. Maybe it's possible they still have feelings for each other."

Kyoko froze again and miscalculated her next step, losing her balance and falling forwards to the ground with Ruriko on top of her. Ruriko sighed in annoyance and stood up, climbing the remaining two steps to reach the top. "I'll just go and have the servants receive me then. You've brought me far enough," Ruriko smirked, walking towards the building and leaving Kyoko alone on the ground. Kyoko groaned and stood up. She clutched her twisted ankle and pressed a hand to the swelling, healing the injury with a pulse of healing magic.

Kyoko knew that Ruriko was just saying these things to try to get on her nerves. It wasn't that hard for Kyoko to realize that the girl was jealous. However, Kyoko also knew that it was very likely that Kuon had several girlfriends during his time at Goraku Mountain. That Morizumi Kimiko had claimed to be one, and now Ruriko was claiming she and Momose were also. Was it possible that she was actually telling the truth?

Kyoko really wanted to teleport to the Water Kingdom now to ask Kuon about what Ruriko had said. Damn her jealousy! It was really overriding all her common sense! Kyoko ran down the steps and teleported to the Far Sea, hoping that what Ruriko said had just been a bluff.

This time, instead of entering the cave, Kyoko only reinforced the barriers on the outside of Reino's prison. She didn't want to risk having to speak with Reino again if he somehow found a way past the magical barriers to taunt her.

When Kyoko rendezvoused with Kuon at the Sky Palace, Ruriko's words echoed in her mind as she saw him standing with Momose and Kijima. " _Maybe i_ _t's possible they still have feelings for each other."_

"Crown Princess! It's nice to see you again!" Kijima grinned. She smiled back politely, glancing at Kuon as he smiled in his conversation with Momose.

"Hidehito-san, did Kuon already explain everything to you two?"

"He did. Momose-san and I are sure glad that you two were the ones going undercover and didn't actually try to kill us," Kijima joked. Noticing her arrival, Momose brought Kuon's attention to Kyoko's arrival and approached Kyoko.

"Crown Princess, it's a pleasure to meet you," Momose bowed.

"The pleasure's mine, Momose-san," Kyoko bowed back. The four immortals started up the steps to the building, with Kuon and Momose actively conversing along the way. Kyoko tried to act as if she wasn't interested in their conversation, but she was actively listening.

"It's been a while, Kuon-san. I wish I could see all the disciples again. We never had a proper goodbye before we all left Goraku Mountain…"

Kyoko looked out of the corner of her eye to see Momose blushing. Her heart clenched in pain as she remembered Ruriko's words again. _"Their relationship never actually ended."_

"I apologize. At that time, I couldn't bear to say goodbye to you all," Kuon replied guiltily.

"It's fine. You don't have to apologize for that," Kijima added himself into the conversation. Kuon and Momose both turned their heads to him in surprise, having forgotten he was listening to the conversation. Kyoko bit her lip, trying not to feel hurt that Kuon was paying so much attention to Momose that he forgot about the rest of his companions.

"You seem happier now. I'm glad," Momose said softly. Kuon's eyes flickered over to Kyoko, and he smiled softly, the movement going unnoticed by Kyoko who stared pointedly at the ground as her jealousy swirled around in her head. "I am," Kuon replied. Momose noticed his subtle glance in Kyoko's direction, and she knew the true reason behind his newfound happiness.

"What about you, Momose-san?" Kuon wondered.

"Oh, I'm still the same old me. I thought that around this time my parents would arrange a marriage for me, but they haven't yet. Honestly, I'm glad though since I wouldn't want to marry someone I don't love," Momose sighed in relief. Kyoko froze and looked down guiltily. Momose was right. Kuon was stuck in this engagement with her even if he didn't love her, and she was only keeping him from being with someone he truly loved.

Momose gasped in realization as she sensed Kyoko's unease. "Wait, I'm being very insensitive! I didn't mean to belittle your engagement with the Crown Princess!" Momose apologized profusely. Kuon opened his mouth to refute, but Kyoko beat him to it.

"It's fine, Momose-san. You're right. Kuon and I were engaged before we even met each other. Our marriage isn't one of love, but politics," Kyoko smiled politely, covering up her sadness.

"Mogami-san-" Kuon began to say.

"Oh look, we're here. I hope that the accommodations are to your liking. Thank you for doing this," Kyoko bowed before immediately changing into her Setsu disguise and teleporting back to the Ghost Kingdom. Once she was gone, Momose turned to Kuon, her lips thinned in a serious line.

"Kuon-san, you love her, don't you?"

Kuon turned to Momose in shock and saw Kijima giving him a thumbs up. How had they been able to tell? Was it really that easy to others to see?

"Momose-san, I know we never truly broke off our relationship before I left, and I'm sorry-"

"You don't have to apologize. It's true that I was saddened at the time, but I moved on, and you have as well. I'm happy for you. It's not often that you can find love in a political marriage. I hope from now on that we can become friends again," Momose smiled sincerely at him.

"I think that would be great," Kuon smiled back.

"Ahhh, finally! I was wondering how long it would take for you two to finally talk and make up! I was beginning to miss our friendship together. Hizuri-kun, you'll visit us more often, right?" Kijima smirked. Kuon nodded.

"I will, but I should probably return to the Ghost Kingdom with Mogami-san. People will start to question us if we're not there together," Kuon waved goodbye before morphing his appearance into Cain and teleporting away.

"You're truly happy for him?" Kijima wondered once Kuon was gone. Momose smiled sincerely. "I am. We've both moved on. Now maybe you'll believe me when I say that I love you instead," Momose smiled, earning a rare blush from Kijima.

* * *

 **Emotions are running high between Kuon and Kyoko, and we are about to reach a breaking point, especially with that aphrodisiac working on Kyoko. We're also going to have to watch out for Miroku and Reino's plans...**

 **brennakai-** Awww, thank you so much! I'm glad that my writing is in character! You're right for worrying about only one person putting on all the barrier spells... There's a reason they divided the work up between 10 people the last time. Your suspicions are backed up... We'll just have to see what happens when all the barrier spells are cast by one person. Thanks for your review!

 **H-Nala-** Honestly, Skip Beat! is 267 chapters of those two hiding their true feelings for each other. Just like them getting closer to talking it out with this most recent canon chapter, we're getting closer to them talking it out in this story as well! Thank you for reviewing!

 **JeremyVD-** Reino will definitely be a pain in the butt when he escapes, and it's worrying that Kyoko and Kuon have no idea that Miroku is on to them. They might end up being caught by surprise by his escape... But don't worry about them keeping their secrets from each other since we are super close to them finally talking it out! Everything will come out very soon, and they will finally know about each other's feelings! Thank you for your review!


	43. Chapter 43

Kyoko tried to take deep breaths as her jealousy surged. Ruriko has not been lying. Kuon and Momose truly looked like a couple as they walked together, much more than she and Kuon did.

 _"Maybe it's possible they still have feelings for each other,"_ Kyoko's grudges taunted her. She clenched her fist and stomped on one particular grudge that had been sticking its tongue out at her.

When Cain returned to the room he shared with Setsu, he saw her trying to squish an imaginary cockroach. "Setsu?" Cain called out, and she immediately stopped.

"Ah, sorry! I just saw a pest!" Kyoko lied.

"I wouldn't expect the Ghost Palace to have those," Cain looked at her in questioning. Kyoko gulped at having been caught in her lie, but she mustered up Setsu's spirit to help her.

"What are you trying to say, Nii-san? Are you calling me a liar?" Setsu frowned and crossed her arms.

"No. I trust you, Setsu," Cain replied with a genuine smile. Kyoko lost Setsu's spirit at his smile and humphed before sitting down on her bed, turning away from him as her heartbeat accelerated at his smile. She was really having a hard time controlling her heart around him today.

"Setsu, what's wrong?" Cain asked, sitting next to her on the bed. She looked into his grey eyes and remembered the jealousy she had been fighting with the whole day.

"Nothing," Kyoko replied, her back still turned to him. He approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder, turning her gently to face him. Kyoko tried to focus her eyes in anything except for the man in front of her.

"Then why are you trying to avoid me?"

"I'm not avoiding you, Nii-san," Kyoko lied.

"Yes, you are," Cain argued, narrowing his eyebrows. Kyoko sighed. It looked like he wouldn't give this one up no matter how hard she tried.

"You dated Ruriko-chan in the past," Kyoko replied.

Kuon looked at her incredulously. What? How did she know that? And why did she want to bring this up right now?

"I'll admit I did, but my relationship with her ended a long time ago."

"And what about Morizumi Kimiko?"

Kuon was really shocked that Kyoko was asking him so much about his dating life. "She had a noticeable crush on me, but I didn't reciprocate the feelings, so nothing ever happened between us."

"But you definitely had a relationship with Momose-san. You never properly said goodbye to her, right?" Kyoko growled, her jealousy partially sleeping through her words. Kuon was shocked at her tone of voice. Why was she asking about all of this now? Who told her these things? Was this Setsu being jealous again or could he hope that it was Kyoko?

"I ended everything with Momose-san today. We have both moved on with our lives already, and there's no romantic connection between us any longer. You don't have to worry about her, Setsu. You're my most important person," Cain hugged her.

Kyoko flared up in anger. Why was it that he could say all these things to Setsu? Kyoko wanted him to tell _her_ these words. She wanted his love, and she couldn't stand this anymore. Being so close to him as Setsu was having a toll on Kyoko's heart when she remembered that all of his love and concern was Cain's emotions for his little sister, not Kuon's feelings for her. Kyoko shook off his arms from around her, starting towards the door. However, Kuon grabbed her arm, stopping her from leaving. Kyoko's eyes darted to his lips, and she tried to suppress her desire to feel his lips on hers again. She quickly looked away from him, trying to smoother those feelings.

"Setsu, are you mad at me? I'm sorry, those relationships don't mean anything to me now. I don't even think I ever truly loved any of them. I was too young to know what love was. Are you jealous?-"

"Just stop it, Nii-san! I can't take this anymore! Stop!" Kyoko cried out, no longer able to take the pain of knowing his care for her was only that of Cain's.

"Setsu, I'm sorry. Please don't be mad at me. I'll do anything for you to forgive me. I'll give you anything. Just please don't be mad at me."

"All I want has always been just you!" Kyoko exploded. Kuon froze, his face blank from his shock.

"You want _me_?"

Kyoko was horrified at what she had just let slip. She quickly turned away, unable to face him after the confession. What had she just done?! She was not supposed to confess her feelings for him when he clearly had tons of other women around him. Kyoko turned her head back to peek at Kuon's reaction and found herself staring directly into his eyes which seemed to search for something in her expression.

Her eyes darted down to his lips once again, and this time, Kuon followed her gaze. Kyoko's control was slipping fast, and she knew that she was close to losing herself in those lips if she kept staring at them... She needed to get out of here, or else she would make a huge mistake. Kyoko turned away again to leave before she let her emotions get the better of her.

However, as she moved to open the door and leave the room, Kuon swung it closed with his magic and locked it. She turned to him in shock as he approached her, an emotion in his eyes that she hadn't seen for a long time. The Emperor of the Night stared back at her.

"Wh-what are you doing Nii-san?" Kyoko stammered, backing away until she hit the door.

"You want me," Kuon said, still approaching her like a tiger stalking its prey.

"And I want you."

Kyoko felt her breath hitch at his words, and she froze, not able to believe that he had actually said such a thing to her. Kuon had finally reached her, and she yelped as he bent down and picked her up princess-style. Kyoko instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck as Kuon strode over to her bed and dropped her onto it. He took off the outer black cloak on his shoulders and dropped it to the ground. Kyoko widened her eyes in shock as he pushed her black silk shawl off her as well.

"You-" Kyoko began to say until she was silenced by Kuon pressing his lips against hers. Her eyes fluttered shut, and Kyoko was lost to the sensation of Kuon's soft lips meeting her own. Kyoko's instinctually leaned into him, wrapping her arms around him as their kiss deepened. Her heart beat erratically, and she clung tighter to him, never wanting to let him go. She gasped as he began to undo the front of her robe, allowing his tongue entrance into her mouth. She melted at his touch, her mind foggy with the passion caused by the aphrodisiac that she had so desperately tried to control throughout the day. Finally out of breath, Kuon pulled back, allowing the both of them to get more air into their lungs.

"Nii-san, what-"

"I'm not your brother, Mogami-san," Kuon growled, capturing her lips once again and kissing her with even more fervor than before. He succeeded in pushing the robe off of her shoulders, and he immediately started to press kisses to her collarbone, causing her to arch her back off the bed.

"What are you-" Kyoko started to say before Kuon claimed her lips again. She melted into his touch, her prior jealousy completely forgotten at this point. As Kuon put even more of his love for her into his kiss, she grabbed the front of his robe and began to undo it like he had done to hers. Kuon waved his hand, removing their disguises as Setsu and Cain so that he could look into the golden orbs of the woman he loved, and she stopped as she looked into his beautiful emerald eyes. Instead of undoing the robe any further, Kyoko grabbed the front of his robe and crashed her lips onto his. Kuon smiled against her lips and tried to feel around her to see how to get her robe completely off, but he ultimately gave up and used his magic to strip both of them naked. Kyoko gasped. "Wh-Where are our clothes?"

"I found them troublesome, so I took them off with magic," Kuon smirked, leaning down to steal her lips again. She pulled away, meeting his eyes in a serious expression. She needed to make sure. "You truly want to be with me?" Kyoko asked.

"I want to be with you," Kuon replied, stealing her lips once again as she moaned into his mouth.

…

Kyoko rested her head on Kuon's bare chest and smiled she heard his heart beating just as fast as hers was from their passionate night of lovemaking. Kyoko snuggled into his warmth and beamed in happiness as Kuon wrapped his arms around her.

Kuon was the happiest man in the world with Kyoko in his arms. As she laced her left hand in his right and brought their intertwined hands over her heart, Kuon leaned down and kissed their conjoined hands. He could stay like this forever without a care in the world.

"I love you," Kuon murmured. Kyoko stiffened, and he worried that he had said something wrong as her eyes filled with tears. Did he get the wrong idea? Kuon's heart clenched as he wondered if her confession earlier had only meant she was attracted to him physically.

"I didn't think it was possible… I thought all this time that you hated me, only dealing with me since I was the Crown Princess. I had forced myself into your life, and I never knew it was possible for you to fall in love with me," Kyoko shook her head, her tears falling onto his bare chest. Kuon wiped away her tears with his thumb.

"I love you too, Kuon," Kyoko sniffed, her eyes puffy from her crying. Kuon's heart felt like it was going to explode out of his chest. She loved him back. All of this time, they had both been hiding their feelings from one another. Kuon kissed her back with ardor, and he smiled radiantly at her as they parted. Her own smile reflected the sheer happiness that his did. However, Kuon's bliss was ruined as Kyoko's hand came to rest itself on the scar on Kuon's right wrist.

"What's this?" Kyoko wondered. Usually, the sleeve of his robe covered up the scar, so it was the first time Kyoko had seen it. Kuon's first impulse was to clench his other hand over the scar, but he couldn't since Kyoko was currently running her fingers over it.

"It's only a scar," Kuon responded.

"How did you get cut on your wrist like this in battle?" Kyoko wondered. Kuon took a deep breath. He shouldn't lie to her. Not after today when he had learned they shared mutual affections. He was willing to tell her anything if she would listen.

"I was very distraught when my master was killed. During the few years after his death, my grief overwhelmed my common sense. After I left Goraku Mountain, I went to LME. When I got there, Takarada-san was nowhere to be seen. Since no one was around and my guilt was eating away at me, I tried to end my life using the hundred knives curse."

Kyoko looked to him in shock. The hundred knives curse was one of the most horrible torture curses that existed. The person cursed would be sliced 100 times by 100 knives for a total of 10,000 slices inflicted on their body whose scars would never go away. Most didn't even survive past slice number 1000. The curse had been outlawed in all of the Heavens for its inhumane means of torture.

"Only one of the knives sliced me before Takarada-san found me and stopped me," Kuon said, running his own fingers over the scar. He widened his eyes in surprise as Kyoko tackled him in a hug, wet tears falling against his bare chest.

"Why would you try to torture yourself like that?" Kyoko cried into his chest. He brought his hand to stroke her hair soothingly.

"I had destroyed the lives of both Rick and his fiancé, Tina, with my stupidity. No one blamed me for it directly, so I felt like I needed to punish myself instead. Why was I able to live peacefully when my master had died for me?" Kuon asked, tears coming to his own eyes.

"High God Rick sacrificed himself for you. Because of him, you had the chance to live the rest of your life. This was his last gift to you," Kyoko answered, snuggling against his side. He pressed a kiss to her forehand and wrapped his arm around her. Although his guilt was still there, Kuon begun to realize the truth behind Kyoko's words. Looking back, it was foolish of him to throw away the life that Rick had exchanged for his own. He definitely would have been disappointed in Kuon for trying to take his own life, and Kuon knew the God of War would have probably used that metaphor for Kuon being a chicken like he always did before.

"I'm sorry I wasn't willing to talk to you earlier about this. When Koga-san called me a cold-hearted, bloodthirsty murderer, it really struck a chord in me," Kuon said.

"It doesn't matter what Koga-san says as long as you yourself know the truth. You did not murder High God Rick. If anything, you should hate King Reino for killing him," Kyoko murmured into his side.

"Mogami-san-"

"Kuon, why do you still call me by my family name?"

"Would you rather me call you Kyoko without honorifics?" Kuon asked. Kyoko's face heated up in a blush at hearing her name from his lips again after such a long time, and she nodded eagerly. He smiled at the effect he had on her by just saying her name.

"You probably empathize with me after what you went through 300 years ago with that mortal. I can never forget what happened to Rick. I will always feel guilt about it. Nothing can change that," Kuon said seriously.

"I understand that. You're right, I do empathize with you. It's hard to let go of what happened in the past, and I don't think I'll ever get rid of my guilt, but I know that I have to grow from my experiences. I can't stay stuck in the past…" Kyoko trailed off. She looked into Kuon's emerald eyes, remembering all of the pain she had caused him as a mortal, and her guilt felt like a punch to her gut.

"Kuon, if one day someone took your eyes, would you forgive them?" Kyoko asked suddenly, touching her finger to his cheek to look closer into his emerald eyes. They were not the same as they had been when he was Ren. It was almost as if the shimmer in his eyes when she first met him was not there anymore. His eyes were duller now.

"Who would take my eyes?" Kuon chuckled softly, not understanding her sudden line of questioning.

"What if it was me?"

"You?" Kuon looked at her, not believing that she would ever do such a thing. She nodded. Kuon raised an eyebrow, wondering why she seemed so serious.

"If you really take my eyes, it would be over between us," Kuon replied honestly, still stroking the top of her head. He closed his eyes with a content smile on his face at having his love in his arms, not seeing the guilt and tears on Kyoko's face. She quickly wiped her tears away and hugged him tighter. She was certainly glad that he had lost his memories of his life as Ren and that she had been given a second chance with him. Kuon drifted off to sleep with Kyoko in his arms, unaware of the fear his words had caused her.

…

 _Kuon opened his eyes and looked up, seeing the bright sun peeking through the foliage of the tall trees around him. Where was he? Kuon walked through the woods and eventually found a small hut. He noticed a barrier cast around it to hide the hut from normal view, but somehow he had been able to spot the hut through the barrier. Kuon entered through the barrier and approached the hut, wondering who could be inside. He opened the door of the hut and walked around until he stopped dead in his tracks, seeing a man sitting on his bed clutching a pendant around his neck. His eyes widened in recognition of the blue pendant that Kyoko had almost lost that one time._

 _"Kyoko?" The man spoke into the pendant. The stone suddenly began to glow amber, and the man froze as he heard the sounds coming out of it._

 _"Kyoko! Hold on! Wake up! Please wake up, Kyoko!" Worried voices rang out._

 _"Kyoko? What's wrong?!" The mortal asked in worry. He stood up and ran out of his hut when the only reply was more worried exclamations. "I'm coming, Kyoko!" The mortal shouted into the pendant, running past Kuon and throwing open the door of the hut. Kuon ran out to follow him and watched as the mortal approached the barrier around the hut._

 _"Don't leave the barrier!" Kuon found himself shouting to the man. However, the mortal didn't hear him and instead broke through the barrier. A few seconds later, Fuwa Sho appeared and knocked the mortal out cold._

 _…_

Kuon was startled awake from his dream and looked around him, remembering that he was in the Ghost Kingdom. Kyoko lay asleep next to him, and he wondered why he had been having these weird dreams recently.

"Kuon?" Kyoko murmured, waking up from her slumber. Kuon cast a spell to put their disguises back on. Kyoko's auburn hair morphed into Setsu's blonde tresses while Kuon turned into her doting older brother. With another wave of his hand, they were fully dressed yet again. Magic really was useful.

"Setsu? Who are you talking to?" Kuon asked, slipping into Cain's character and rising from the bed.

"No one. I just have a craving for that type of vegetable," Setsu smirked, and Kuon couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped from his chest.

"Let's go buy some lunch then," Cain replied, taking her hand to lead them out of the door. Kyoko smiled and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.

* * *

 **THEY FINALLY TALKED IT OUT! I hope that this chapter was as relieving to you all as it was for me to write. As this is a T-rated story, I didn't write a full-on lemon, but I think you all can fill in the blanks of what happened that night with your own imaginations ;).**

 **Erza-** Every story needs a good villain ;). Reino will definitely pose some potential problems in the future. Also, your comment really reminded me of the true reason why I write on this site, which I almost forgot recently. Sometimes I just need a little reminder that I write these stories for fun and that no one will really be that mad if I delay updates one week. Thank you for commenting!

 **Paulagato-** Her jealousy ended up bringing them together finally! And you're right about Reino being a bit worrisome. He's going to be a bit of a pain in the near future. Thanks for your review!

 **Jakdhale Gutierrez-** Oh, I've watched some other Chinese TV shows and even more Taiwanese TV shows. From the top of my head, I can remember watching Love O2O (C Drama) and Jojo's World (T Drama) recently, as well as Just You, Fall In Love With Me, and the Taiwanese drama version of Skip Beat. Basically, I watched a lot of the Mandarin dramas on Netflix. I'm also currently on episode 40-ish of Ashes of Love which is really similar to Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms.

 **H-Nala-** They did have time to talk it out! Although, we'll have to see how much more time they have to talk before Reino escapes like you said... Thanks for your review!

 **brennakai-** They were heading towards a confrontation sooner or later, but Kyoko's aphrodisiac just speeded things up due to her jealousy. And Kuon has been through enough torture as Ren thanks to Sho, and he doesn't even see Sho as a threat anymore lol. Thanks for reviewing!

 **elly051-** Aww, I'm glad you're enjoying my story! Sometimes, it feels a bit difficult to keep everyone in character, especially when I'm trying to combine the roles of a couple characters from the drama into only one character. Kanae is a prime example of this. And I'm glad that the non-chronological integration of canon is working out phew. Also, about that lemon, you're just going to have to supplement this chapter's events with your own imagination ;). I struggle with kiss scenes already, so I don't have the confidence that I could write a lemon quite yet. Thank you for leaving me a review! :D


	44. Chapter 44

On their way out of the Ghost Palace to grab lunch, Cain and Setsu bumped into Murasame who grumbled at having to see the Heel siblings acting all lovey-dovey together. They ignored him, which seemed to make him even more angry.

"Hey! Where are you going?!" Murasame demanded.

"It's none of your business," Setsu spat back.

"As your employer, it sure as hell is!" Murasame yelled back.

"Murasame-san, you don't have to get all worked up over nothing. The Heel siblings are free to leave the palace whenever they choose," A voice said from behind the Heel siblings. Cain and Setsu turned around to see Miroku walking towards them.

"Yeah, all we were going to do was eat lunch, and you had to harass us like this," Setsu harrumphed.

"Heel-san, if you're heading out to eat, you could just stay and eat some of the lunch that the staff made already. We would like to meet with you as soon as possible to discuss your tasks, and it'll be quicker if you eat in the palace," Miroku suggested. Kyoko looked up at Cain to see what he thought about Miroku's suggestion. Cain seemed as impassive as ever. Kyoko decided to agree to Miroku's suggestion since it would be a waste if the kitchen staff had already made them food and they went out to eat.

"Very well. We will stay here to eat lunch, then," Setsu answered, causing Miroku to smirk. For some reason, Kyoko was a bit unnerved at Miroku's smile. Setsu grabbed Cain's arm and turned them towards the palace kitchens. Murasame balked as he caught a glimpse of a purple mark on Cain's neck as he turned.

"What the hell?! What's on his neck?!" Murasame pointed at Cain, his face ghostly pale. Both Miroku and Setsu looked at the bruise, and Setsu only gave Murasame a smirk before grabbing her brother's hand and dragging them in the direction of the palace kitchen. Murasame turned to Miroku to see if Miroku was as disgusted as he was, but he found the man to be smiling.

"How can you be smiling after seeing something like that?! It's disgusting!" Murasame yelled, trudging away. Miroku only gave a small shake of his head before teleporting to the palace kitchen to make sure the kitchen staff knew which special dishes to give to the Heel siblings.

...

"Nii-san, you have to at least eat something," Setsu pouted, holding up a spoonful of her meal to him. Kuon was content to just watch Kyoko as she ate lunch. He had never really had an appetite anyways, so it was normal for him to watch her eat, but apparently she wouldn't let it go this time as Setsu's arm remained outstretched with the spoon. Cain rolled his eyes and clamped his mouth around the spoon, chewing quickly before swallowing the food. For some reason, he found that the food tasted a bit weird. Was it some kind of Ghost Kingdom herb that made this flavor?

"I'm full," Cain grumbled as Setsu held out another spoonful for him. She narrowed her eyes at him, the spoon still hanging in the air, but she eventually gave up when she realized Cain wouldn't budge. She quickly finished the rest of her meal so that he wouldn't have to wait too much longer. After lunch, Cain and Setsu made their way to Vie Ghoul's meeting room where they encountered the whole Ghost Kingdom gang already launched into conversation.

"When will we make our attack? Are the barriers weakened enough?" Manaka asked.

"It seems that the barrier around King Reino's prison is still too hard to penetrate. I heard from our insider that the Crown Princess showed up to reinforce each bit of magic that was taken down by the deaths of Rick's disciples," Muramase answered. He turned to see Cain and Setsu's arrival, and a wide frown marred his features. The rest of the company in the room also sensed their arrival and immediately included them into the conversation.

"Heel-san, have you killed Matsunai Ruriko, Hidehito Kijima, and Momose Itsumi?" Shizuru asked. Cain nodded gruffly.

"Did you find the chicken artifact in any of the disciples' palaces, Heel-san?" Kiyora asked Cain. He shook his head, and Kiyora sighed heavily.

"You know what? I think it's time to set our next plan in motion. Heel-san, we need you to assassinate the Crown Princess," Miroku announced.

"Good idea, Miroku! That Crown Princess is always getting in the way! Once she's gone, all of the magic barriers that she put up again will be gone!" Manaka exclaimed.

"But won't it be difficult to kill her? You know what happened last time we faced her..." Dasuku trailed off.

"This time will be different. We have her surrounded," Miroku grinned, turning to stare Kyoko right in the eye. Kyoko stiffened internally, but Setsu remained nonchalantly examining her nails.

"What do you mean?" Setsu asked. Miroku flicked his hand. Suddenly, twenty guards teleported into the room, each pointing a bow at Setsu and Cain. Setsu widened her eyes in shock as Cain instinctively pulled her behind him to protect her.

"Miroku, what's going on?" Manaka asked, worried that they were trying to hurt Cain.

"Cain and Setsu Heel are not who you thought they were. That's Hizuri Kuon and the Crown Princess. They've been tricking us this whole time! They never killed any of Rick's disciples, they just acted like they did! We've been ignorantly telling them everything this whole time!" Miroku growled. Murasame widened his eyes at the siblings. All this time, he had thought they were perverted because they acted like a couple even though they were siblings, but it made sense now since he knew that Hizuri Kuon and the Crown Princess were engaged. Murasame looked around the room to see that all of Vie Ghoul had drawn their weapons, almost as if they had known what Miroku had planned to reveal.

"How come you didn't let us know this until know?!" Murasame complained.

"Never got the chance to tell you," Kiyora replied, his sword suddenly gleaming as tongues of fire danced around the blade. Kuon materialized a sword in his hand, ready to fight, but Kyoko took his other hand and teleported them away before anyone could fire one shot.

"You idiots! You should have cast a teleportation barrier before you exposed them! This is why you tell us who they really are before you reveal their identities!" Murasame fumed. Miroku waved his hand, and the guards that had been in the room disappeared like dust.

"It's better that they're kept alive. Now let's begin our real discussion. We're breaking out King Reino in two days," Miroku announced.

"What?! How are we going to do that so early?! The Crown Princess put up all the defenses again!" Murasame argued.

"She did, but there's a reason they entrusted the barriers around King Reino's prison to ten separate immortals. Before you arrived, I told the servants to put Yowamaru potion in the Heel siblings's meals. The potion takes two days to start working, but it'll temporarily restrict one from using any powers for one whole day. It's fortunate that King Reino still had enough in his storage for me to borrow," Miroku explained.

"So in three days, the potion will activate, and the magic of the Crown Princess that is holding up the barriers on King Reino's prison will suddenly stop working?" Manaka clarified.

"All we have to do is wait," Miroku grinned.

...

When Kuon found that Kyoko had teleported them to the Sky Palace, he was momentarily disappointed. He had really wanted to see what it would be like to slash at Murasame's chest after all that cheese-brain has said to them.

"Setsu! Why did you teleport us away?!" Cain growled. Kyoko changed their appearances back to normal and rolled her eyes.

"Kuon, you don't need to act as Cain Heel anymore! Come back to me!" Kyoko frowned. Kuon blinked away his character and looked down into her golden eyes that he had missed ever since their lovemaking session last night. He immediately leaned down to crash his lips onto hers. She widened her eyes in surprise at his action but immediately kissed him back with just as much intensity.

"Kuon, why did you do that so suddenly?" Kyoko smiled as he pulled back.

"I'm not Cain Heel anymore. I can freely declare to the whole world that I'm in love with you, Kyoko, and no one can stop me," Kuon smiled radiantly. Kyoko blushed and took his hand in her own.

"Kuon, we have to solve the problem with Vie Ghoul. What are we going to do?"

"We've found out enough to set them back in their plan. They're going to try to head for the other disciples now to try to weaken the barriers around King Reino's prison, but we can warn them and station more guards to protect them. And since we know the layout of the Ghost Palace, we can stage a coup to usurp Manaka-san and Murasame-san and capture Vie Ghoul. I also have to return to the Fairy Kingdom soon to pick up Brian," Kuon explained.

"Who's Brian?"

"The chicken with magical powers to freeze time," Kuon replied. If it was anyone else, Kyoko would have thought he was speaking nonsense, but everything suddenly started to make sense to her.

"Of course! You had him this whole time! That's how you knew when Vie Ghoul broke into High God Rick's tomb!" Kyoko realized.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you before, but I made an oath to my master that I would protect Brian," Kuon apologized.

"I understand. He's a very powerful chicken. We just need to make sure that the he's protected now at all costs," Kyoko replied.

"I think I have an idea on where to hide him..."

...

"You really want me to watch over this chicken, Master Kuon?" Ruto confirmed again. Kuon nodded his head with a smile.

"No one ever comes around the Hall of Radiance, so I'm sure Brian will be safe here. I trust you to keep him safe," Kuon smiled. Ruto bowed, and Kuon went on his way to rendezvous with Kyoko. She had been tasked with warning all of Rick's other disciples about a possible attack and release the disciples that had been staying in the Sky Palace. Kuon smirked as he teleported to Kyoko's private quarters and snuck inside. He had never been inside before, but her bedroom was very similar to the rest of her minimalistic palace except for one looming statue that caught Kuon's eye. When he went over to look at it, he felt a pain go through his heart.

Kuon knew immediately that this statue was of Ren. If he hadn't known any better, he would have thought it was of him, but Kyoko wouldn't have had time to create this since the time she met him. Ren had always been in her heart, and he was still in her heart if she set up this statue in her bedroom. Was it possible that Kuon had come to the wrong conclusion? He had been together with Kyoko last night, but what if she lied when she said she loved him? Could she have just slept with him because he looked similar to Ren?

"Kuon?"

Kuon turned around to see Kyoko looking at him worriedly. She had forgotten to hide Ren's statue since she came back to the Sky Palace.

"Is this Ren?" Kuon asked even though he knew the answer. She nodded.

"For the past 300 years, Hana has never been able to see her father, so I created this sculpture so that she could always have him watching over her. The statue used to be in the Hall of Radiance, but I had it moved here so it wouldn't make you uncomfortable."

"I see."

Kyoko felt uncomfortable in the heavy silence that fell between them and approached Kuon. "I finished warning all of High God Rick's disciples. I ordered my guards to tell the ones here in the Sky Palace that they are free to leave if they want. We've counteracted everything that we learned that Vie Ghoul was going to do, and it's possible that I can order my troops tomorrow to arrest Murasame-san, Manaka-chan, and Vie Ghoul," Kyoko said.

"That's good. It's night already, so I should probably head back to the Fairy Kingdom now. I'll come see you again tomorrow," Kuon said, brushing past her to get to the door until she grabbed his arm.

"Kuon, it's already late. Do you want to stay here for the night instead?" Kyoko asked.

"I'm afraid that I would take up too much room."

"You wouldn't. The bed here is large enough even for you," Kyoko replied, going over to sit down on her bed. She patted the spot next to her, encouraging him to come over. Letting his own self desires override his fears that she only wanted him physically, Kuon walked over and sat down next to her, and she smiled. Pulling off the soft blanket on top, she laid down, prompting him to lay down next to her. However, he turned away from her and there was a comfortable distance between them. He was not able to look her in the eye as his mind kept insisting that she might only love him since he looked similar to her late husband.

Kyoko wondered why Kuon was being so distant all of a sudden. Had she made the wrong assumptions about their relationship after the last night? Had it only been the magic of Cain and Setsu that caused him to desire her like Cain desired Setsu? She scooted closer to him and wrapped her arms around him, startling him, but he didn't push her off. She gently ran her hand through his blonde hair. "Kuon."

Kuon slowly turned towards her. "What is it?" Kuon wondered. She leaned in to give him a sensuous kiss. "I love you," She said as she pulled back. Kuon wanted to believe her. All of her actions screamed that what she said was true, but why did he still have a feeling that she just could not let go of Ren? He was being jealous for no reason. Ren was already dead. It wasn't as if Kuon needed to compete with a dead man for Kyoko's affections. As long as she said she loved him, he should believe her from now on.

Kuon wrapped his arms around her, trying to let go of his fears. "I love you too," He pressed a kiss to her forehead. They laid content in each other's embrace for a few moments before Kuon spoke again.

"What about we get married on September 2nd?" Kuon asked.

"What?" Kyoko blinked as she pulled away from him, not believing what she just heard.

"Kyoko, I want to marry you. It's almost fall, and I heard that the 2nd of September is good for weddings and constructions. It's a good day for everything. Why don't you tell your mother that we'll get married that day?"

Kyoko felt tears of happiness come to her eyes and tackled him in a hug. "Kuon, I love you. I really do love you. I want to be with you for eternity," Kyoko kissed him, letting all her feelings for him into the kiss. He gladly welcomed the kiss and kissed her back with just as much intensity. When he pulled back, he smiled heavenly at her.

"You are truly the only woman I have loved and will ever love," Kuon smiled, stealing her lips once again for another passionate kiss. Kyoko opened his robe slightly and shrugged the fabric off his strong shoulders.

"Kuon, give me another child," Kyoko breathed against his lips as he cast a sound barrier around them to have a repeat of the events of last night.

...

Kyoko snuggled into the warm embrace of her lover as the morning sun drifted through the curtains of a window. She shifted in his arms to face him and placed a soft kiss to his beaming face, playing with the fabric of his robe. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her forehead. He traced the white scar on her chest with his finger.

"Since you asked me about my scar last night, where did you get this one?" Kuon wondered.

"Battle with the Pixie Kingdom," Kyoko hummed, too comfortable in his embrace to be fully awake.

"I've always wondered. I've heard everywhere that any war or battle you choose to partake in, you always win. Why did you almost die in the war with the Pixie Kingdom?" Kuon asked.

"I let Morizumi-san do it," Kyoko replied. Kuon stayed silent, waiting for her to elaborate.

"I'm usually never envious of anyone, except for Moko-san."

"Moko-san?"

"Sorry, that's my nickname for Kotonami-san."

"Oh? Why would you be envious of your best friend?" Kuon asked.

"You heard that she eloped with Hiou-kun?" Kyoko wondered. Kuon chuckled, and Kyoko loved feeling the warm reverberations of his laugh as she laid on his chest.

"Did you forget? I was engaged to Kotonami-san until she ran off with Hiou-kun," Kuon chuckled, causing Kyoko to laugh as well.

"Moko-san found love and got what she wanted. Although my mother banished her to the Water Kingdom, she still ended up with the immortal she loved. She was a princess of the Sky Kingdom, but without the restricting identity of Crown Princess, it was easier for her to get out," Kyoko sighed.

"And what about you?"

"Although I'm Crown Princess, I'm lucky that the person I love is King Hizuri Kuon," Kyoko replied, pressing a kiss to his cheek. He smiled heavenly at her as she closed her eyes, content to spend just a little more time in his arms.

* * *

 **We're almost at the end of this story arc! Only a few more chapters to go until we reach the penultimate arc! It's hard to believe I started this story more than a year ago and I'm now at over 140,000 words... Thanks for sticking along for the ride! I'm excited for the upcoming chapters, and I hope you are as well!**

 **Paulagato-** If Kuon does find out that Sho took his eyes, there _is_ a way to retrieve them... And you should be very scared of Reino. If he comes back, there'll be a lot of trouble not only for our favorite couple but for all immortals in the Heavens... Thanks for reviewing!

 **valie france-** Awww, thanks! I'm glad you are liking my story thus far! It must have taken quite some time to get through the 43 chapters in one sitting. I try to update as quickly as possible (at least once every two weeks), but sometimes life just gets in the way :/. I agree with you on needing Skip Beat! fanfic to tide us over until the next official chapter releases though since there's barely any progress each month!

 **JeremyVD-** I feel you. It's like: finally, they get together! Kuon _is_ starting to remember some memories from his life as Ren since Lory's amnesia potion wasn't foolproof. In my fic, Kyoko's a bit similar to Ren since she blames herself for the death of a loved one, but as they are both together now, they're on the path to forgiving themselves for what happened together. Thank you for your comment :).

 **Tam2013-** Sometimes life just decides to get in the way of chapter releases, sigh. I'm glad to know that I have readers eagerly awaiting each chapter release :). Thanks for reviewing!

 **Fanfichlover22-** Thank you for your kind words! Kuon is in the process of recovering some of his memories as Ren, but you'll have to wait and see how he reacts to this knowledge in the final arc ;).


	45. Chapter 45

**A/N: I apologize in advance, but I will be going on hiatus for about a month since my life is starting to be really hectic and I don't have as much time to write. I don't want to leave you all for so long on a cliffhanger, so the next arc will begin in the next chapter. Thank you for always supporting this story, and I will see you all in about a month!**

* * *

Even though both would have been perfectly content to stay together for the rest of the day, Kyoko and Kuon got out of bed as morning rays of sunshine shone into Kyoko's room. Kuon used his magic to put his clothes back on and was about to waltz right out of Kyoko's room before realizing that it would generate lots of gossip if he did since no one had known that he snuck into her room last night.

"I'm going to head to the Fairy Kingdom to catch up on kingdom affairs with Yashiro-san, but I'll meet you again back here tonight," Kuon smirked at her, causing Kyoko to blush.

"Actually, could you come back a bit earlier? I have a feeling that Hana will want to see you once she finds out that we've returned. Could you meet me in Hana's room when you return?"

"Of course, Kyoko. I'll see you soon, then," Kuon replied, pressing a sweet kiss to her cheek before teleporting away. Kyoko pressed her hand to the spot where he had kissed and smiled, falling back onto her bed with a smile of true bliss.

…

Kyoko took a deep breath as she approached the throne room of the Sky Palace. As much as she was trying to avoid her mother, Kyoko knew that the matter of the Ghost Kingdom was still very important. As the Crown Princess, she had a duty to inform the Heavenly Empress of what she had learned during her dangerous mission.

However, Kyoko was still extremely hurt from what her mother had done. All her life, she had acted obedient and tried to please her mother, but all her mother had done in return was take away the man who brought her the most happiness in her life. And that wasn't to mention the lack of love that Kyoko had growing up. As a child, she had come to know that her mother disliked her, maybe even hated her. But why? All her life, Kyoko had never known why her mother had acted this way towards her. She could take the physical punishments, hell she could take the verbal abuse. But why did her mother hate her? Why would she try to take away the one person who ever made Kyoko happy?

Kyoko opened the door to the throne room to see her mother sitting on her throne, looking over various scrolls. They locked eyes, and Kyoko willed herself to not back down. Kyoko quickly crossed the room and bowed in front of her mother.

"I have returned from the Ghost Kingdom."

"As I can see," Saena responded coldly. Kyoko ducked her head at her mother's cold tone, and she bowed even more deeply.

"I learned of Vie Ghoul's plans to free King Reino and have enacted all necessary countermeasures. However, I failed to keep my identity hidden in the end, so please punish me for my incompetence," Kyoko looked at the floor. She stiffened as she heard her mother stand up and slowly approach her. Kyoko instinctively braced herself for any physical punishment that her mother would inflict.

"There's no need for any punishment."

Kyoko raised her head to see her mother standing right in front of her, and Kyoko straightened herself up to look her mother head-on.

"I'm only disappointed that I heard of you and King Hizuri setting off on this mission after you had already went undercover. I would have liked to hear of this plan beforehand."

"I understand."

"Since when did you have that sort of relationship with him?" Saena wondered.

"Who?"

"Hizuri Kuon. I heard that you've been spending your time in the Fairy Kingdom recently. After that mortal's departure, I didn't think you would try to spark up your arranged marriage so soon. I certainly refused to do so after a similar occurrence happened to me," Saena said, although where Kyoko was expecting to see a furrowed brow of disappointment, she saw that Saena's features were surprisingly soft.

"A similar occurrence?" Kyoko tilted her head in confusion.

"Before you were born, I was duped by an immortal from the Ghost Kingdom named Misonoi Kazushi."

Kyoko listened as Saena told her the story of how Misonoi had masqueraded as one of the many generals of the Water Kingdom. She had barely been crowned Empress, and already the great war between the Ghost Kingdom and Sky Kingdom was about to begin as King Reino began to rally his troops. Saena's advisors had already been breathing down her neck about marriage to a number of princes and kings in order to secure an heir, but she had rejected all their offers for the sake of remaining focused on her work. It wasn't until Misonoi visited the palace that her attention was momentarily drawn away from the upcoming war. She fell in love with the handsome general, and she was so blinded by her love that she didn't think to question Misonoi's true loyalties.

However, Saena believed that he had also fallen in love with her over the course of his mission. His target had been her map of battle formations and troop movements, but he had left her various clues of his spying. One day, she had left the map in her room with a magical seal and left to take a shower, but she had found the seal to be broken after she returned. The only person who had access to the room in that time had been Misonoi, but she hadn't wanted to believe that Misonoi was behind it. It wasn't until the eve of the great war that he abandoned her, drugging her tea and whisking the map back to the Ghost Kingdom, never to be seen again.

"My stupidity caused the Sky Kingdom to lose many lives that should not have been lost. I had let my feelings cloud my judgement. I let my kingdom down by playing right into the enemy's hands. I was relieved when we won the war since my mistake hadn't cost us absolutely everything. However, my advisors were still pestering me to find a spouse and produce an heir. I didn't want to open my heart again after Misonoi's betrayal, so I put off marriage as long as I could. Yet, when I visited Goraku Mountain to thank the disciples there for coming to the Sky Kingdom's aid during the great war, I touched a golden lotus that impregnated me with you. At the time with the sped up pregnancy, I had thought that it was Misonoi's child. I didn't want a physical reminder of my failure, so I wanted to…" Saena trailed off, looking down in guilt.

Kyoko's breath hitched, and her mother closed her mouth, looking up to her with no coldness in her gaze. There was a hint of concern in her look, and Kyoko put up her hands in reassurance. "Go ahead. Don't hold back. Please tell me. I'm completely fine with it," Kyoko said.

"I asked the palace medic for an abortion, but the medic refused to abort the baby since my pregnancy had already progressed so far, and the stress from the war would have made an abortion dangerous to my body. I was so distraught those days that I considered ending my own life, but Todoh-san stopped me, reminding me that I still had a duty to my people. So I gave birth to you. The palace medic later revealed to me that you were not Misonoi's child, but a spirit that had been trapped inside that golden lotus, waiting for a vessel to bring you back into the world. Even though I had learned that you weren't his child, you were still a symbol of my shame and disgrace in my eyes. So I took out my wrath on you, especially during your early childhood. It was impossible for me to properly raise the life I gave birth to as my own child."

"Why tell me this now?" Kyoko wondered.

"I wanted to explain the reasons behind my actions towards that mortal."

"You're trying to justify his death to yourself, not me," Kyoko scoffed, the first time she had done so in front of her mother.

"Ren never abandoned me. You and Shotaro forced him to leave me," Kyoko accused her.

"Kyoko-"

"I spent my whole life trying to get you to love me, but it turns out it was never possible. I only came to my senses when you took away the one man I ever loved and forced me to marry the man who manipulated me over and over again," Kyoko ducked her head, trying to hide the tears threatening to leak out.

"I know, but I made a promise to Fuwa Sho that he could marry you if he brought me the Soul-gathering Sheep Pillow to revive you after you jumped off Korosu Terrace after that mortal. Like I said before, the marriage is in name only. You don't have to acknowledge him."

"That's not the point! All my life, I've lacked love. I never had a father. My mother never cared to actually be a mother to me. The mother figure who actually took care of me was only trying to hitch me to her son. The boy who I loved manipulated me over and over again until I realized the truth. Every immortal around me never truly wanted to know who I was and be my friend; they only cared about my title. You tried to stop me from seeing the only two true friends I had. And the final blow was when you murdered the one man who ever saw past my title, the one man who made me feel as if he truly saw me for who I was."

Kyoko breathed heavily, trying to calm herself after she let everything spill out.

"You're right."

Kyoko's head snapped up to her mother, shocked that she had agreed.

"I never acted with your best interests in mind. I only did what _I_ thought was right for the kingdom's future Heavenly Empress. I will never truly be a mother to you, and I can't take back what happened in the past, but I want to start to try to amend what I have done. You don't have to marry Hizuri Kuon. I will break the engagement for you if you would like-"

"No! The marriage arrangement is fine!" Kyoko interrupted her immediately. Saena knitted her brows in confusion.

"I won't force you to adhere to the engagement. You have my blessing to break the engagement," Saena repeated.

"I don't want to break the engagement! I want to marry Kuon! I love-!" Kyoko started to say before clapping her hands over her mouth. She knew her mother's stance on love, and she was worried that her mother would tear them apart due to that emotion.

"You love him?" Saena finished her sentence.

Kyoko released her hands and nodded fearfully.

"Very well. As long as you don't wind up pregnant out of wedlock, I give you my full blessing," Saena announced. Kyoko blushed and looked down at her feet, reminding herself that she would need to ask one of the servants for a contraception tonic after this meeting. Saena furrowed her brow as she realized the meaning behind Kyoko's blush, and she glared openly at her.

"Have you slept with Hizuri Kuon already?!" Saena asked. Kyoko nodded shyly, and Saena's glare intensified.

"You will ask the palace medic for a contraception tonic directly after this meeting," Saena ordered, and Kyoko nodded quickly.

"Since we share mutual affections, I wanted to ask you if September 2nd would be a good day for our wedding."

"That would be fine," Saena replied, still a bit coldly after what Kyoko had revealed.

"Then I will take my leave now," Kyoko bowed, heading to see the palace medic with a blush.

…

As Kuon teleported into his study in the Fairy Kingdom, he found Yashiro busily looking over reports on the agricultural yield of the past year. When Yashiro looked up from his papers, he immediately stood up and smiled.

"You're back!" Yashiro exclaimed.

"I am," Kuon smiled in amusement, watching as Yashiro gathered up the pile of scrolls on the table. Yashiro approached Kuon, and Kuon widened his eyes in shock as Yashiro dropped the heap of scrolls in his arms.

"I'm so glad I was born a Yashiro instead of a Hizuri. I would never want to be king. Running a Kingdom by yourself is a lot of work. At the very least, I was a bit more experienced this time around compared to when you had your heavenly trial and were gone for years on end," Yashiro said.

"I returned from my heavenly trial more than 300 years ago, but why can't I seem to remember what the trial entailed?" Kuon wondered.

"I'm not quite sure. All I know is that you randomly wound up in LME one day all beaten up, and you chose to drink a memory potion from Takarada-san to forget about whatever happened during the trial."

"Why would I do that?" Kuon wondered. Even in his darkest times when Rick had been killed, Kuon had refused to take a memory potion and forget his trauma. What could have possessed him to take it for a mere heavenly trial? It just didn't make any sense to him.

"Ah, it's not good to dig up the past like this. If you chose to take the memory potion, you probably never want to remember whatever happened. What about you tell me how your dangerous mission went instead?" Yashiro asked. Albeit reluctant to change the topic, Kuon answered, "I think it went well."

"Come on! You have to tell me more than that! You were acting as Kyoko-chan's big brother! You two shared a room all this time! I bet it was hard for you to control yourself in those circumstances," Yashiro smiled teasingly. Ren sighed at his friend's teasing, but he found himself smiling slightly at having the company of his friend again.

...

Kyoko opened the doors of Hana's palace to surprise her daughter. Hana had been playing with some of the dolls her mother had made from her, and when her head snapped up to see who had entered, her mouth immediately widened into a huge grin.

"Mother!"

Kyoko laughed as Hana ran up to her to give Kyoko a hug.

"I missed you, Hana," Kyoko kissed her forehead.

"I missed you too, Mother! Since you've been gone, so much has happened!" Hana exclaimed.

"Oh? What have you been up to?" Kyoko smiled.

"Ruto let me visit Grandpa and Grandma every day! While I was there, they told me many of father's stories!" Hana smiled.

"And what kind of stories does your father have?"

"Father used to train under High God Rick, and he was the best disciple in Goraku Mountain! Grandpa and Grandma said that they would constantly hear of how Father had bested his opponents! Grandpa went on and on about how great his son was. He's such a doting otou-sama," Hana giggled, causing Kyoko to laugh as well.

"Were you two talking about me behind my back?"

Kyoko and Hana turned to see that Kuon had teleported into Hana's room. Hana immediately ran to give Kuon a hug.

"Father!" Hana smiled, and Kuon picked her up.

"How are you, Hana?" Kuon smiled.

"I missed you and Mother so much!" Hana exclaimed. Kuon placed a soft kiss to her temple as Hana turned to Kyoko.

"Mother, I want a hug from you as well!" Hana exclaimed. Kuon shifted Hana in his arms to hand her to Kyoko, but as Kyoko tried to take hold of her daughter, she found that her arms seemed very weak. She had to set Hana down in fear that she would drop her.

"Mother? Why did you put me down?" Hana wondered.

"I'm sorry, I must be a bit tired still," Kyoko replied, wondering where all her strength had gone.

"Your mother doesn't have enough stamina these days," Kuon smirked, causing Kyoko to blush bright red at his innuendo.

"Enough stamina? What does that mean?" Hana wondered.

"Your father doesn't have enough stamina either," Kyoko fought back, causing Kuon to laugh.

"Father doesn't have enough stamina either? Does that mean that although father can hold me, he can't hold mother?" Hana wondered. Kyoko noticed that Kuon had gotten a certain teasing glint in his eyes, and she yelped as he grabbed her legs and hauled her over his shoulder.

"Kuon!" Kyoko exclaimed.

"Hana, I'm going to take your mother to rest since she's tired," Kuon said.

"Okay, Father!" Hana grinned widely, blowing him a kiss. Kuon smirked and turned towards the door. He carried her over his shoulder all the way through the Sky Palace to her room as Kyoko beat at his back, ordering him to put her down. Her cute temper only spurred him on even more.

...

Shoko had heard of the Crown Princess's return and had gone to check on her for Sho, but she was stunned to see Kuon carrying Kyoko over his shoulder through the palace. She bowed her head as Kuon walked past, but she turned around and started to follow the pair secretly once they had passed.

Deciding that Kyoko's palace was too far away and seeing that the Hall of Radiance was on the way, Kuon changed his route and entered the Hall of Radiance, setting Kyoko down on the bed there. Shoko walked up the steps and hid behind a pillar to listen in.

Kuon pressed a hand to Kyoko's forehead. "Are you all right?" Kuon asked.

"I'm fine. I'm just a bit sluggish today," Kyoko responded.

"Do you want to call the palace medic?" Kuon asked.

"No, I think I'll be okay."

Kuon pulled Kyoko close to him and started to massage her back. Kyoko smiled at him and moaned in satisfaction.

"You don't have to do that for me, Kuon."

"What if I want to?" Kuon hummed, still working out the kinks in her back.

"How am I supposed to pay you back for doing this?"

"I can think of many ways..." Kuon grinned, letting a bit of the Emperor of the Night into his smile. Kyoko craned her head to kiss him sensually, and Kuon pushed her shoulders onto the bed before attacking her mouth with his own in a passionate kiss. However, suddenly remembering where they were, Kuon pulled away.

"Maybe we shouldn't do it here in the Hall of Radiance. He's Hana's father after all. It's disrespectful to the dead."

"Then are you saying you want to sneak into my bedroom again, Kuon?" Kyoko smirked, causing Kuon to smirk back as he took her hand and teleported them back to her bedroom.

Shoko blushed bright red at having witnessed such a scene like a peeping tom. She hurriedly teleported back to Sho's quarters and realized that Sho stood no chance anymore if Kyoko and Kuon were already that close in their relationship.

"Shoko? Where have you been?"

Shoko froze and turned to see Sho lounging on a chair. "N-Nowhere!" Shoko replied.

"Then why is your face all red?" Sho narrowed his eyes. Before Shoko could come up with another lie, Mimori came into the room. "Sho-chan, the Crown Princess is back!" Mimori exclaimed. Sho immediately perked up, but Shoko could see the gears turning in his head as he turned back to her and narrowed his eyes.

"You've seen her already," Sho accused her. Shoko sighed. There was no hiding it any longer.

"I accidentally witnessed a private moment between Hizuri Kuon and the Crown Princess before they teleported to her bedroom," Shoko admitted. She watched as Sho's face became as red as a tomato in rage.

"She leaves for a while without a word, and suddenly when she comes back, she's shacked up with that Hizuri?!" Sho growled, storming out of his quarters to smack some common sense into Kyoko's head. Shoko and Mimori followed after him until he stopped in front of Kyoko's palace, watching the various servants putting up decorations. They bowed as he approached them.

"Hey, what are you decorating for? If it's for Kyoko's birthday, she doesn't like gold or green. Change them," Sho ordered.

"The Crown Princess picked these colors herself since the King of the Fairy Kingdom will soon marry her," A servant replied. Sho's face turned red with fury, and he trudged towards the guards in front of the palace. They immediately stepped in front of him, blocking his entry.

"The Crown Princess said that no one is to enter her palace," A guard said.

"Then why is that Hizuri in her palace?!" Sho argued.

"He's the only one she allowed clearance," The guard replied. Sho growled in rage and trudged back to his own room, leaving Shoko and Mimori to follow behind trying to console him.

...

The next morning, Kuon kissed the top of Kyoko's head and slid out of bed. She grumbled at the absence of warmth and fluttered her eyes open, watching as Kuon changed.

"Where are you going?" Kyoko wondered groggily.

"I still have a few more matters in the Fairy Kingdom to resolve with Yashiro-san," Kuon replied.

"Would you be willing to take Hana with you? I think she wants to spend time with you."

"Sure. I'll stop by her room and pick her up before departing," Kuon agreed.

"I love you, Kuon."

"I love you too, Kyoko," Kuon brushed a kiss to her forehead.

...

"You're making me babysitter again?!" Yashiro's mouth gaped open.

"Uncle Yashiro, was I such a burden to watch over last time?" Hana pouted.

"No, you're a wonderful girl, Hana. I'm just getting a bit older, so I'm not as energetic as I used to be, so I don't know if I can keep up with you," Yashiro replied.

"First Mother and Father have too little stamina to pick me up, and now Uncle Yashiro is too tired as well?!"

Yashiro widened his eyes in shock at Hana's innocent words and looked to see Kuon... No way! Was he blushing?!

"I hope Father and Mother are married soon so that Father doesn't have to keep sneaking into her bedroom to see her. Last night, Father snuck into Mother's room very late at night. If he does that every time, it'll be hard for me to find him," Hana sighed. Yashiro's jaw dropped to the ground, and he turned to see Kuon looking up, a hand over his mouth to try to cover the rising blush.

"Y-You h-how w-when-" Yashiro stuttered before a high pitched squeal came from the bespectacled immortal. Kuon and Hana looked to him in shock, not thinking he was capable of making such a noise.

"What are you trying to say Yashiro-san?" Kuon frowned, hoping that his friend wouldn't start to ruthlessly tease him about this. Kuon was surprised when Yashiro straightened up and readjusted his glasses.

"Although I'm ecstatic for both of you, have you thought about the consequences of these late night visits, Kuon?" Yashiro asked seriously.

"What consequences? I'm already going to be marrying her anyways," Kuon replied.

"What if she gets pregnant out of wedlock?" Yashiro blurted out.

"Mother's going to get pregnant?! Am I going to have a little sister or brother?" Hana's eyes sparkled.

"I promise, we're being safe. She won't get pregnant until after the wedding," Kuon reassured Yashiro with a smirk, causing Yashiro to almost squeal once again like the fanboy he was.

"Aw, I was hoping to be a big sister," Hana said deflatedly.

"One day you will be, Hana," Kuon smiled at her.

"Really?"

"I have to go to a council meeting, but I'll come back soon, Hana," Kuon pressed a kiss to her cheek before walking out of the room, leaving only Yashiro and Hana behind. Once Kuon was gone, Hana turned to Yashiro.

"Uncle Yashiro, I understand that you are excited about my parents' relationship, but the number one fan spot is already taken by me," Hana pouted, causing Yashiro to widen his eyes in surprise before laughing.

* * *

 **Thank you to all who reviewed last chapter!**

 **H-Nala-** Kyoko consumed a lot of the potion since she ate almost her entire meal, but Kuon only ate one spoonful, so he will not suffer the effects of the potion like Kyoko will. She's already feeling a bit of the effects of the weakening potion this chapter, but the full effects won't be seen until next chapter where Kuon will hopefully be able to save the day in the end.

 **Guest 1-** Aw, thank you! Life can be a bit hectic sometimes, which gets in the way of chapter updates, but thank you for your understanding and support!

 **Guest 2-** Thank you! It's very heartwarming to hear that my stories have such an effect on you :). See you soon for the next chapter!

 **brennakai-** The poison will not affect Kuon since he only had a spoonful, but the same can't be said about Kyoko since she finished a whole plate laden with the poison... I have thought about redeeming Sho like I had in one of my previous stories and have him feel guilt for all of his actions, but we'll have to see since this version of Sho has done some really horrible things and still hasn't learned.

 **Paulagato-** At least they had a lil' family reunion before the threat of the poison comes to surface and allows Reino to have an opportunity to escape. Hana won't be getting a younger sibling quite yet, but I can't make any promises about the future!

 **Guest 3-** I'm glad you liked last chapter! Thanks for your review!


	46. Chapter 46

**I'm back! This is a little bit of a shorter chapter this time around, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!**

* * *

After a whole day of council work, Kuon was relieved to finally finish his work and have time to see Kyoko again. In between meetings, he had at least been able to spend a bit of time with Hana playing with her dolls and talking to her more. She was really the cutest little girl he had ever met. Although Kuon had planned to just sneak into the Sky Palace to see Kyoko, as he teleported to a usually secluded area of Kyoko's palace, he was surprised to see that the servants were bustling around the castle, hanging up various banners and decorations in hues of green and gold. He froze like a little kid caught doing something wrong. When the servants noticed him, they immediately sunk to their knees in bows.

"Crown Prince," They all greeted him in unison. Kuon widened his eyes in surprise.

"I'm not the Crown Prince yet," Kuon responded in confusion.

"We are required to greet you this way as the future consort of our Crown Princess," A servant spoke up. Kuon shifted uncomfortably, not used to the large amount of servants bowing to him in this way.

"Do you know where the Crown Princess is?" Kuon asked.

"The Crown Princess is currently admiring the lotus pond in the palace," A servant replied. Kuon uttered a short thanks before heading over to the lotus pond. When he arrived, he saw Kyoko sitting on a bench with her elbows on her knees, gazing out blankly at the pond.

"Hey," Kuon smiled as he came up to her. Her eyes focused on him, and she smiled back.

"You're back," Kyoko replied.

"What were you thinking about?" Kuon wondered, taking a seat next to her and taking her hand in his own.

"I just came here to try to figure something out," Kyoko replied. After thinking more on her conversation with her mother the day before, Kyoko had remembered her mother saying that she had been impregnated when she touched a golden lotus on Goraku Mountain. Kyoko had come to the lotus pond to figure out what that could possibly mean. Was her father a lotus? Was she part-lotus?

"Lotuses really do listen, don't they? I remember when I was on Goraku Mountain that my best friend was a lotus who I could talk to about anything," Kuon reminisced, causing Kyoko to turn to him as she suddenly remembered the dreams of a golden-haired immortal that she had ever since she had been born. She looked closely at her fiancé, and slowly she realized that he had the exact same body proportions as the immortal in her dreams.

"Was the lotus golden?"

"Yes, but how did you know?" Kuon looked at her in confusion. Kyoko remembered when she had first met Ren and had mistaken him for the immortal in her dreams. However, she had dismissed the thought when she realized Ren didn't have blonde hair and green eyes. How had she missed what had been hiding in plain sight after she met Kuon?!

"I think I met you before I was born..." Kyoko replied, causing Kuon to look even more confused.

"My mother told me recently that when she touched a golden lotus at Goraku Mountain, she became pregnant with me. I hadn't looked into the story of my birth before, but I've always had these dreams of a handsome immortal with blonde hair and beautiful emerald eyes ever since I was young."

Kuon dropped her hand in shock. "You were the golden lotus?!" Kuon asked, and Kyoko nodded. Kuon immediately pulled her into a hug, causing Kyoko to squeak in surprise.

"I never had the opportunity to say thank you for always listening to my troubles," Kuon murmured into her hair.

"I always wished that you could hear me because I could only listen to your troubles, but I was never able to console you," Kyoko replied.

"Even if you couldn't say anything, I always felt like I wasn't alone whenever I went to talk to the golden lotus. I could never explain why I had that feeling, but now it all makes sense," Kuon smiled. Kyoko pulled out of the hug and brushed a stray lock of blonde hair away from Kuon's face with a smile.

"Do you know that immortal in my dreams was my first crush? I had no idea who he was, but maybe I already knew back then that I would marry a fairy prince," Kyoko smiled.

"Oh? Sorry to disappoint you, but I've become fairy king since then. I can't make you a fairy princess, but I would love for you to be my fairy queen," Kuon smirked, looking around at the various flowers around them and seeing a perfect candidate for his plan. Kuon stood up and went over to a cropping of flowers with long stems. He picked two of them that had fully bloomed and fastened them together into a ring, hiding what he was doing with his back. Kyoko tried to peer over him to see what he was doing, but he hid his creation from her until he was finished.

"Kyoko?"

"Yes?"

Kuon stood up with the ring in his hand and took her hand in his own, sliding the ring onto her ring finger. "In the Fairy Kingdom, we have different customs for marriage than the Sky Palace. When a man wishes to marry a woman, he will propose to her with a ring that symbolizes his promise to love her for eternity. Although some immortals will propose with jeweled rings as a display of their wealth, it's always been a tradition for the royal family to propose with rings that the man crafts out of flowers. Ever since I was young, my parents taught me how to craft a flower ring for the day when I would propose to my future wife," Kuon explained. Kyoko marveled at the intricately crafted ring and smiled at him.

"What does the bride have to do to promise that she'll love her husband for all eternity?"

"Well at the wedding, they usual seal their vows with a kiss," Kuon replied. Kyoko smiled and tilted her head up to kiss Kuon.

"I will love you for eternity, my fairy king," Kyoko giggled.

"As will I, my fairy queen," Kuon replied, raising Kyoko's hand and pressing a kiss to the flower ring.

...

Kyoko and Kuon made their way back to Kyoko's palace after finding out their connection from long ago, although they had opted to take the longer route so that Kuon could see more of the palace he would soon marry into. As they passed over a bridge, Kuon brushed his hand along the railing. The design and crevices felt very familiar under his touch. Instinctually, Kuon followed a route that he somehow knew even though he had not been to this part of the palace before.

"Kuon? Where are you going?" Kyoko snapped him out of his trance.

"I thought this was the way back to your palace?"

Kyoko shifted uncomfortably on her feet. "It's not exactly."

"What about we go this way then and see more of the palace that way before heading back?" Kuon suggested, continuing along the familiar path since he was curious. He stopped as he found Kyoko tugging on his arm.

"No!" Kyoko exclaimed, a scared look in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Kuon wondered.

"Please don't go that way! That path leads to Korosu Terrace. I-It's where Ren jumped off from…"

Kuon immediately removed his hand from the railing and felt Kyoko's hand on him shaking. He put a hand over hers.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know," Kuon apologized.

"C-Can we just teleport to my palace? I would rather not walk around this area at all," Kyoko stuttered. Kuon nodded and teleported the two of them to her room. Once they were alone, Kyoko immediately embraced him.

"P-please never go to that part of the palace. I c-can't-" Kyoko choked out as she trembled from the fear she had felt. Kuon wrapped his arms around her slim form.

"I won't go there again," Kuon promised, wiping away a tear that slid down Kyoko's cheek with his thumb. She rose on her tiptoes to kiss him softly before breaking out of his embrace to sit on her bed. Kuon followed her and sat next to her.

"I will not leave you like he did, Kyoko. Nothing could make me do that," Kuon tried to console her.

"What if I s-stole your eyes and you h-hated me?" Kyoko stuttered, and Kuon wrapped his arms around her shaking form.

"The only way you could get me to leave you would be if you didn't love me anymore and wanted me gone," Kuon replied. Kyoko looked up at him as if seeing him for the first time. Her mind tried to work out his words.

"Why would you think I didn't love you?" Kyoko murmured, wondering if Ren had been led to believe she didn't love him. That couldn't be the reason he left, right? All this time, Kyoko had believed he left since he couldn't forgive her for taking his eyes and for his treatment in the Sky Palace.

"Maybe if you had fallen in love with another man, then I would want to leave you with the man who made you happy instead of me," Kuon replied, thinking of what would have happened if Ren had been able to come back to life with the Soul-gathering Sheep Pillow that Kyoko had tended to all those years. Would he have never met her and fallen in love with her? Kyoko circled her arms around him, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Never. I promise you, I will never love another immortal. I will love you for all of eternity, Kuon. No one could change that," Kyoko promised. Kuon tilted his head down to kiss her brow.

"I have a feeling we already told each other these words earlier, my Fairy Queen?" Kuon joked. She tilted her head up and giggled.

"I know, but I truly want you to know that you are the only one that will ever be in my heart," Kyoko said.

"And you are the only one who will ever be in my heart as well, Kyoko," Kuon smiled. He shifted them around so that they were both lying on her bed and kissed her deeply.

"K-Kuon, is it all right if we go to bed early tonight? I'm sorry, but I'm just a bit tired," Kyoko asked as she pulled away from the kiss.

"Of course. But am I at least allowed to stay here with you, holding you in my arms through the night?"

"Only if I can do the same," Kyoko teased back. Kuon kissed her again as he wrapped his arms around her, using his magic to change both of them into their night wear. The two immortals drifted to sleep in each others' arms, content that nothing could ever disturb the happiness that they had found together.

…

Kyoko woke up the next morning in Kuon's arms feeling very strange. Why did she suddenly feel so weak? Through the night, one of Kuon's arms had come to rest itself on her, and try as she might, she didn't have enough strength to lift it off. Through her struggle, Kuon woke up and took his arm off her himself. She slowly sat up, clutching her head in pain.

"Kyoko? What's wrong?" Kuon asked in concern, worried that he had hurt her. She tried to stand up but stumbled. Kuon caught her before she fell to the ground. "Kyoko!"

"I don't know what's happening…" Kyoko trailed off, trying to use her magic to change out of her night wear. However, try as she might, her magic just wasn't working at all.

The two turned to the door as they heard a frantic knock. Kyoko looked at herself and Kuon to make sure they were both presentable and called out weakly, "Come in!"

A soldier that Kyoko had a faint recollection of seeing at the Far Sea immediately opened the door and bowed. "Crown Princess, this morning, the barriers around King Reino's prison all shattered."

Kyoko widened her eyes in concern and tried to stand again, but she still couldn't support her own weight. "Kyoko!" Kuon called out in concern, steadying her himself. Kyoko let him set her back on the bed, and she tried to perform the most basic of magic to ignite a candle on her dresser, but that didn't work either.

"M-my magic, i-it's not working at all. I think that's why the barriers I placed around King Reino's prison aren't working," Kyoko realized.

"Call the palace medic," Kuon turned to the soldier at the doorway. The soldier bowed and disappeared.

"Kuon, please, you have to go to the Far Sea in my place and reapply the barriers," Kyoko pleaded.

"I have to make sure you're okay, though. You know your power is linked to you life, right? If you're without your magic for too long, you won't be able to sustain your immortality."

"The palace medic will help me recover, but you're the only one I can trust to prevent King Reino from escaping. You should know better than anyone what would happen if he escaped," Kyoko replied.

"But-"

"I'll be fine, Kuon. Please," Kyoko begged. Kuon nodded reluctantly and pressed a kiss to her forehead before teleporting away.

A few minutes passed, and the palace medic and soldier reappeared. The medic immediately went up to Kyoko to examine her condition.

"Crown Princess, is your magic not working at all?" The medic asked.

"No."

"How long ago did you see symptoms of weakness?"

"I felt a little weird after I returned from the Ghost Kingdom…" Kyoko replied.

"Did you ingest anything abnormal?"

Kyoko remembered the weird taste of the food in the Ghost Kingdom and wondered exactly for how long Vie Ghoul had known she was the Crown Princess. What if they had poisoned her food?

"The food at the Ghost Kingdom had an off-putting taste," Kyoko replied.

"It must have had Yowamaru potion. I haven't seen symptoms like these ever since the war 70,000 years ago. Yowamaru potion was used on our soldiers in warfare by King Reino. Sometimes he would poison the water that we drank, and groups of soldiers would drop like flies a few days after ingesting the potion due to their weakness. If they went for too long without their powers, they would die. I had thought that King Reino's supply of Yowamaru potion had run out, but he must have been saving a store of it for a day like this. It's lucky that I know how to make the antidote. It'll take about two hours, Crown Princess," The medic bowed. Kyoko nodded.

"Please hurry," Kyoko said as the medic teleported away. She turned to the soldier. "Vie Ghoul will probably attempt to break out King Reino, but you must stop them at all costs."

"I will fight them with my life, Crown Princess," The soldier bowed before teleporting back to the Far Sea. Kyoko lied down and cursed herself for being so stupid and not being able to recognize that the food in the Ghost Kingdom had been poisoned sooner. Now she couldn't do anything but wait and hope that Kuon would be able to stop Vie Ghoul.

* * *

 **After writing an angst-filled chapter for** _ **Bus 1225**_ **, it was refreshing to write a lil fluff in this story before the plot starts to speed up next chapter. Thank you to all who reviewed last chapter!**

 **H-Nala-** Kyoko's marriage to Ren was not formally recognized before since the ceremony was done on her own without consulting Saena. Even though Kyoko married Ren in the mortal realm, the Sky Palace still considered her marriage to be null and void, and thus her child was technically born out of wedlock, especially since she was engaged to Kuon at the time. If she gets pregnant with Kuon, it will be considered out of wedlock since no one except her knows that he was actually Ren, and Kyoko's marriage to Ren didn't even count legally back then. Hope that answered your question!

 **valie france-** I hope at least the beginning of this chapter was happy. I don't think the next few chapters will be sad, per say, in Kyoko and Kuon's relationship, although I can't promise anything since I'm returning to the plot of _Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms_ soon. Thank you for always writing such wonderful comments that make my day :).

 **PaulaGaTo-** Ding! You were right! The potion that Vie Ghoul put in Kyoko's food was the reason behind Kyoko's weakness! Nice job at guessing it! And Kuon is finally able to show his affection to Kyoko in public since he's set to marry her formally soon :). Thank you for always leaving me a review!

 **Coolestbee-** Yes indeed. Finally everyone's talking out their problems and detangling their lives. Saena is pitiful, and Sho will definitely get his comeuppance eventually, but we'll have to see whether Kuon saves the day next chapter. Thanks for reviewing!


	47. Chapter 47

**I was a bit hesitant to update since I wanted to write all the way to the end of the story before fully beginning this arc just so that I make sure I know where the story's going, but I'm having a bit of writers' block with the ending. I decided to just update because I've kept you guys waiting for a while already, and I don't want to keep you guys in anticipation with last chapter's cliffhanger. Hopefully once I get out of this writing slump and finish writing to the end, I'll start having more frequent scheduled updates until the end! We're getting close, guys!**

* * *

"Sho-chan! Mimori just learned some news about the Crown Princess!" Mimori burst into Sho's room, looking very distraught.

Sho looked up from his guitar playing and set the instrument down on the ground. "What happened? Did that Hizuri creep hurt her?"

"A soldier appeared in the throne room to ask Empress Mogami for the palace medic for the Crown Princess, although he didn't specify what it was for. I rushed over to her room and saw that the Crown Princess was all alone, but I heard last night that Hizuri Kuon had been seen around the palace with her. He must have left her in this condition!"

"That bastard! He must have done something to hurt her!" Sho said in outrage, standing up to storm over to Kyoko's room.

"Sho-chan! Where are you going?!"

"I'm going to go see Kyoko!" Sho exclaimed, teleporting away before Mimori could stop him.

…

When Kuon arrived at the Far Sea, he found it to be quiet. Too quiet. The soldiers were all still dutifully at their posts, but something definitely seemed off. Kuon approached one of the soldiers who bowed upon recognizing him.

"One of your soldiers alerted the Sky Palace of the condition here. The Crown Princess sent me to defend King Reino's prison if Vie Ghoul comes to try to break him out. Has there been any suspicious activity recently except for the barriers disappearing this morning?" Kuon asked.

"None, but we will stay on guard in case something happens," The soldier replied.

"Then may I cast another protective barrier around the prison?" Kuon asked. The soldier nodded, and Kuon turned a hand towards the cave to cast a teleportation barrier around it. However, only seconds after he had started, Kuon watched as a man suddenly teleported into the cave. He ran inside, and soon more men appeared to follow behind him. Kuon dropped his hands and materialized a sword out of thin air.

"We have intruders!" Kuon announced to the soldiers who all turned to follow the intruders into the cave. Kuon was about to follow them but stopped. Was this a trap? He hadn't seen Vie Ghoul yet, and he would have thought they would be the forerunners of this plan.

Just as he was about to step closer to the cave, Kuon was blown backwards by the force of an explosion in the cave in front of him. He landed on the ground hard, and when he looked up, the cave was gone, and many soldiers were either decimated or lying injured on the ground. A few of the soldiers had been far enough away from the center of the explosion that they had minimal injuries. The only structure remaining from the cave was Reino's platform which had been surrounded by a protective barrier. Kuon was lucky he had not entered the cave, or he would have been dead.

"It seems we meet again."

Kuon turned around to see that Dasuku, Kiyora, Shizuri, Murasame, and Manaka had teleported onto the battlefield after the explosion. The uninjured Sky Kingdom soldiers immediately stood up along with Kuon with their weapons at the ready.

"We won't let you through without a fight, Ghost Kingdom!" A soldier declared before charging forward. Dasuku easily cast a wind spell to throw the soldier to the ground. Other soldiers around Kuon charged forward to engage with Vie Ghoul, but Kuon charged at Murasame who held up a sword to block Kuon's swing.

"I always had a bad feeling about you, but who knew you would be a filthy spy?" Murasame growled. On Murasame's side, Manaka cast a spell to unleash puppet soldiers just like during Cain's test. Kuon cast a bolt of power towards her, hitting her in the chest and knocking her to the ground. The puppet soldiers immediately dissipated, and Manaka clutched her chest in pain. While Kuon watched Manaka struggle to get up, Murasame attacked his left side, but Kuon luckily materialized a shield to protect his left side. Kuon cast another spell towards Manaka, pinning her to the ground again before she could cast any more puppet soldiers.

"How much battle strategy have you studied, Hizuri-san?" Murasame asked before swinging at Kuon's leg. Kuon easily deflected the swing with his sword.

"Enough," Kuon replied, taking the offensive and landing a cut on Murasame's arm. Murasame cursed in pain and clutched at his arm.

"Then you should have really paid attention to how many members of Vie Ghoul there were."

Kuon widened his eyes and cast a glance behind him to see that he had indeed missed Miroku when he had seen Vie Ghoul teleport in initially. When he hadn't been looking, Miroku had teleported towards Reino and had been able to thaw the ice around Reino completely and almost undo the chains around his hands. The chains not only held Reino in place but were also responsible for restricting Reino's magic. If they were broken off…

During Kuon's moment of distraction, Murasame charged forward, but Kuon luckily cast a wind spell forward to knock Murasame back. Since Murasame was down, he sprinted towards Miroku as he managed to undo a chain on one of Reino's hands. Kuon locked eyes with the man who had murdered his master all those years ago as Reino looked up and smiled wickedly at him. Kuon clenched his fist around his sword. No. He could not let Reino escape.

When Kuon was about 5 feet away from Miroku, he was swept backwards by a barrier that Miroku had cast around himself. Miroku only grinned at him as the chain around Reino's other hand was undone. Reino stretched out his arms and grinned at Miroku who was busy undoing the chains around Reino's legs.

Reino looked at Kuon and grinned, making a cold shiver of dread go down Kuon's spine. Reino extended his arms towards Kuon, shooting out a wave of darkness that Kuon dodged. Miroku finished undoing the chain on Reino's right leg, and Reino shot another spell of darkness towards Kuon. Kuon dodged it again and shot out a beam of light towards Miroku's barrier. The barrier crumbled, and Kuon was about to shoot another beam of magic at Miroku before the chain around Reino's other leg came off.

Everyone on the battlefield immediately felt the change in the air as an aura of darkness gathered around Reino. Without any chains restricting his magic, all of the dark magic that had made him one of the most powerful Ghost Kingdom rulers ever immediately returned to his side. Reino cast a wave of darkness towards one group of soldiers, and the Sky Kingdom soldiers were instantly vaporized.

"You know, Kyoko came to visit me recently. I think I understand why you fell in love with her. She's quite a catch. I wouldn't mind making her my queen and having her rule by my side," Reino smirked at Kuon.

"What are you talking about?"

"Now that I'm free, once I destroy the Heavenly Empress and take over the Heavens, I'll become the Emperor of the World. I'll surely need an Empress by my side. I think Kyoko would be the perfect fit."

"She would never agree to marry you!"

"Who said she had to agree? In her weakened state, I'm sure she would be receptable to almost anything" Reino replied, giving Kuon a grin before teleporting away. Kuon's eyes widened in fear, and he tried to teleport to the Sky Palace before receiving a slash on his left arm by Murasame.

"An arm for an arm," Murasame pointed to his own arm covered in blood. Kuon blocked Murasame's attacks one by one, not having a moment to teleport to the Sky Palace to save Kyoko as Murasame attacked him over and over again.

…

Kyoko lay on her bed watching the door for the medic as a cloud of smoke suddenly appeared. Kyoko smiled, hoping that it was the medic back with the antidote, but her smile immediately faltered as she saw who it was.

"Yo, Kyoko. Long time no see," Reino grinned at her. Kyoko with her limited strength took a blanket to shield herself, but she couldn't do anything as Reino approached her and ripped the blanket out of her hands. She grabbed a vase off the table at the side of her bed to throw at him, but it instantly turned into dust in her hands as Reino snapped. Kyoko was suddenly frozen in place, just like the last time she had come face-to-face with Reino. She couldn't move no matter how hard she tried, and her grudges were nonexistent.

"This wasn't initially a part of my plans to take over the Heavens, but I just couldn't forget about your beautiful darkness after we met before," Reino sat down next to her on her bed, caressing her cheek with a cold finger. Kyoko struggled to move away but his magic was keeping her cemented in place.

"Can you believe that I've fallen in love with you? Ever since you visited me in my prison, I couldn't stop thinking about you. I want you to be my queen. Do you know how much I desire you?" Reino asked. Kyoko's eyes widened, and she tried to move away, but she was still frozen in place. Kyoko felt as Reino turned her onto her back as he started to undo the tie at the front of her gown. He grabbed her chin with his hand to expose her neck to him.

"I think you know that we are heading towards war far more deadly than the one 70,000 years ago, but I'm willing to spare that Hizuri Kuon as long as you agree to marry me instead. I would even spare the rest of the civilians of the Heavens if you agree to marry me and become my queen," Reino said as he grabbed her chin roughly and forced his lips onto hers. Kyoko struggled against his grip but couldn't get him off her.

However, suddenly the door flew open, and Kyoko squinted her eyes at the light to see that Sho had blown apart the doors. In less than a second, Sho had materialized a dagger and had flung it at Reino's back before Reino had time to process his intrusion.

"Barging in and disrupting the most important moment, it's always the hero even though the hero's face is more ferocious than the villain's," Reino laughed maniacally, feeling around his back for the dagger that Sho had thrown at him. When he found the dagger, he pulled it out in a long stroke, only giving a grunt of pain as blood dripped down his back.

"Bastard! I'll kill you!" Sho exclaimed, materializing a sword, but Reino blew him backwards with a wave of wind.

"Who knew you had such a strong resolve?" Reino taunted. Reino held out his arm, and a halberd appeared in his hand. "It wasn't my plan to kill anyone from the Sky Palace today, but since you are so intent on fighting me..." Reino trailed off as he lunged at Sho.

Sho opened his mouth, about to scream before Reino suddenly stopped. Reino's eyes widened as he was stuck in place. Reino looked behind him to see that Kuon had teleported in after finally having a break in his battle with Murasame. Anger radiated off of him, even worse than when Rick had been killed right in front of him. Reino was the Ghost King, but Kuon looked as if he was the Demon Lord in this state.

"You really should have kept your mouth shut. As long as I'm here, I will not let you hurt Kyoko. You're not the only one who can perform this freezing trick. I've spent 70,000 years building up my cultivation and power because this time I will not let you take away anyone who I love," Kuon growled.

"I'm impressed, Hizuri. But I wonder if you would still love Kyoko if you had your memories back..." Reino smirked.

"What?"

"She's known all this time but kept it a secret. It's not my place to reveal what she's been hiding, but it'll all come out in due time," Reino replied, grinning at Kyoko. She shied away from his smile, pulling her robe tight around her from when Reino had undone the tie around it.

"I don't have my full powers back yet, and I really don't feel like getting in a fight today. Think of my proposition, Kyoko," Reino blew a kiss, using the last of his power to break out of Kuon's power and teleport away. Kuon cursed but immediately went to the bed to make sure Kyoko was fine.

"I'm sorry I came late. Did he do anything to hurt you?" Kuon asked in concern, looking at her disheveled appearance with guilt that he hadn't teleported back earlier.

"He forced a kiss on me, but you and Shotaro came in time before he could do anything else," Kyoko responded softly, still pulling the robe around her. Kuon let out a sigh of relief, wiping away one of the tears that had slid down her cheek.

"I'm glad," Kuon replied, embracing her with his good arm. Kyoko rested her head on Kuon's shoulder before gasping as she saw the blood on his arm.

"Kuon! What happened to your arm?!"

"It's just a cut from when I was fighting off Murasame. I'm sorry that I failed in preventing Reino from escaping."

"You know, I never understood why that guy was ever locked up. Why didn't we just execute him when we had the chance?" Sho suddenly piped up. Kyoko and Kuon turned to him, having forgotten he had been there. Even though it was Sho, he had a point.

"Before, it was my mother's choice to lock him up, but I think she will choose to kill him this time to prevent this from happening ever again. Shotaro, could you do me a favor and tell my mother what happened?" Kyoko asked. Sho looked over at Kuon and smirked.

"Sure," Sho responded innocently, teleporting to the throne room to talk with Saena about how _he_ had gone up against Reino and saved Kyoko.

"Kyoko, what was he talking about earlier-" Kuon started to say before the medic teleported into the room with the antidote for the weakening potion that Kyoko had inadvertently taken. Kuon immediately stood to the side to let the medic tend to Kyoko, the words dying in his mouth. He didn't need to know now. Right now, it was just important to make sure Kyoko was okay.

...

Within minutes of being administered the antidote, Kyoko had regained all her powers and was back to full vitality. However, Sho had returned and told Kyoko that Saena had requested to meet with her. Kuon decided that he would mobilize the rest of Rick's disciples and notify them of Reino's escape. Since many of them were royalty, they had access to armies that would be crucial in the upcoming battle against the Ghost Kingdom. With a goodbye kiss, he teleported to the Water Kingdom as his first stop, leaving Kyoko to meet with her mother.

When Kyoko arrived at the throne room, she bowed in front of Saena. "Mother."

"You stupid lovesick girl."

Kyoko flinched at her mother's words and looked up to see her mother glaring at her. Sho stood to the side, looking just a bit guilty at having riled Saena up.

"Fuwa-san told me of how distracted you've been these past few days with Hizuri Kuon. The palace medic told me you had even been poisoned by Vie Ghoul during your mission in the Ghost Kingdom, leading up to the events of today. How could you be so blind?!"

"Please punish me for my ignorance, Mother," Kyoko sank into a dogeza as she touched her forehead to the ground.

"For starting this war, I declare that you will withstand a heavenly trial in the mortal realm. When you come back, I hope you're powerful and undistracted enough to defeat King Reino."

"B-But what if he decides to attack the Heavens while I'm away?"

"Your heavenly trial should only last around sixty years. You'll be back in no more than two months. King Reino lost all his cultivation when he was put in that prison, so it'll take longer for him to regain that cultivation and launch an attack."

Kyoko wanted to argue that she was supposed to marry Kuon in September but shut her mouth. Nothing she could say could change her mother's decision. The wedding wasn't on the top of Saena's priority list. It could be done at any time. It had already been postponed for so long.

"Since you're the Crown Princess, we'll leave your mortal fate to chance. Whatever happens, happens. Your heavenly trial begins tomorrow," Saena declared

"I accept the decree," Kyoko bowed, turning to leave.

"When you return, you can marry Hizuri Kuon immediately and secure our alliance with the Fairy Kingdom," Saena called out.

"I understand," Kyoko replied, continuing along her path back to her room.

…

Like every other night, Kuon returned to Kyoko's room at night. She had been waiting for him, pacing around her room in anticipation of the heavenly trial she would have to embark on the next day.

"Kyoko?" Kuon said, wondering why she was so restless.

"I messed up, Kuon."

"What?"

"I can't believe I forgot my common sense and let myself be poisoned in the Ghost Kingdom. If I had been more careful, none of this would have happened!"

"Kyoko, you can't believe that this is all your fault. You and I both know Reino would have found another way out eventually," Kuon tried to console her.

"What else did they slip in our food? Do you think they might have slipped an aphrodisiac in? Is that why I couldn't control myself around you? What kind of sick plan did they have?" Kyoko threw her arms in the air in exasperation.

"Kyoko, all this happened in the past. There's no way to change it. All we can do is prepare for the future. When we're married, we'll withstand the fires of karma together and amass our powers to defeat-"

"My mother's punishing me by sending me to the Mortal Realm for a heavenly trial," Kyoko blurted out. Kuon was at a loss for words.

"How long?" Kuon breathed out, not quite believing what she was being forced to do.

"It's sixty years in the Mortal Realm until my mortal self dies, so I'll be apart from you for about two months in Heaven. My mother is postponing the wedding until after I return," Kyoko replied.

"When do you start?"

"Tomorrow."

Kuon sighed and took her hands in his own, leading them to sit down on her bed. "Although it's only two months for me, it'll be a lifetime for you in the Mortal Realm. Have you read the destiny that has been written for your mortal self? What if you're destined to have a two-timing relationship?" Kuon asked in concern. Kyoko couldn't help but smile in amusement at his already-present jealousy for an unknown mortal man. Didn't he know already that he was the only one who would ever be in her heart?

"My destiny has not been written. As the Crown Princess, my destiny will be left blank. Whatever relationships I might have are entirely up to me. Maybe it'll be nice to have a bit more experience in relationships so that I can match you," Kyoko smirked.

"What if you marry a mortal man before you marry me in the Heavens?" Kuon asked, scooting closer to her after realizing she was trying to poke fun at him.

"You're worried that I'll get involved with some man in the mortal realm? If I really did, what would you do?" Kyoko wondered with a smirk. She yelped as Kuon suddenly pushed her down onto the bed.

"If that really happened, I would have no choice but to snatch you back to the Fairy Kingdom and make you fall in love with me again," Kuon grinned, caressing her cheek with his hand.

"Then it's a deal," Kyoko responded, leaning up to kiss Kuon. The two of them fell back onto the bed, content to spend the rest of the night together before they would be torn apart by her heavenly trial.

…

Kuon left early the next morning after Kyoko insisted that she didn't want her mother to become even more mad if she found out that Kyoko was "distracted" by him still. When Kyoko arrived in the throne room for her heavenly trial, the palace medic was already waiting for her with a cup of amnesia potion.

"According to the regulations, before you're taken to the Mortal Realm, you have to drink the amnesia potion from the River of Oblivion."

"But how will I regain my memories after the Heavenly Trial if the amnesia potion erases them?" Kyoko wondered.

"The potion doesn't erase your memories, it only suppresses them. Your memories will be tied to a vessel, and once you come back, we'll have you touch the vessel to regain your memories."

Kyoko nodded and took the cup as she closed her eyes. _Kuon, wait for my return_ , Kyoko thought as she downed the contents of the cup.

* * *

 **Hope you don't hate me, but I did have to work in Kyoko's mortal life in some way. Don't worry, her mortal life will be by no means as tragic as Kuon's was.**

 **Thank you to everyone supporting this story! We're getting closer and closer to the end! Less than 10 chapters to go!**

 **brennakai-** Reino unfortunately was able to escape from prison. It's going to be quite chaotic with Reino out on the loose, especially since he has a special eye for Kyoko. Thank you for your review!

 **valie france-** Thank you for such kind words yet again :). I also feel it's a bit lamentable, but I sometimes feel like I'm a bit disillusioned from reality since I'm so lost in the worlds that stories can create instead of appreciating life itself. It's almost as if I'm vicariously living out of the stories I read and write at times. I honestly never believed that I could write stories that could have that same effect on others, but thank you for reading my stories and leaving such wonderful comments!

 **Erza-** Wow, I'm honored that my fic was the first thing you thought about when you woke up lol! When I first read your comment, I got a craving for chicken curry as well XD. Now, about the plot of this fic, Kyoko's a bit too scared to tell Kuon the truth still since she's worried that he'll hate her and leave her for what she let happen when he was Ren. He will find out eventually though! We're only a few chapters away from the big reveal! Kuon did get hurt this chapter, but not too seriously which is good. It's just too bad he now has Reino to deal with who has an eye for Kyoko... Thanks for reviewing!

 **PaulaGaTo-** Kuon unfortunately did get a bit hurt, but nothing he can't recover from! I promise you that Kuon will eventually figure out his past! Just give it a couple more chapters ;). He'll definitely be wanting his eyes back once he remembers what happened... Thank you for your review!

 **H-Nala-** We're getting closer and closer to Kuon remembering his past as Ren. I promise it'll happen in the next few chapters! Thanks for reviewing!


	48. Chapter 48

**There's a couple small time jumps in this chapter, but I hope it's made clear how old Kyoko is in each one. I hope it doesn't seem like I'm skipping around too much, but I expect that you guys would want to hear about the major events of Kyoko's mortal life instead of every minute detail to bore you. Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 _Three days later_

Kuon and Hana were sitting in the garden of the Fairy Palace, and Kuon plucked a beautiful white lily from the garden to rest in Hana's hair. Hana giggled and plucked a pink aster to put in Kuon's hair. She dissolved in more giggles at how cute her father looked with the flower in his hair as Kuon smiled in amusement at her.

"I missed you, Father," Hana said.

"How could you miss me if you only just saw me yesterday?" Kuon smiled.

"It's lonely in the Sky Palace. I wish Father could visit more often. I don't like Grandma."

"Why would you say that, Hana?" Kuon wondered.

"She's always keeping mother and father apart! Mother shouldn't have been punished and sent to the mortal realm!"

"We can't go against the Empress's decrees, Hana. If anything, I should also be punished for allowing this to happen."

"Grandma's decrees are always wrong, though! Father was framed by Shotaro, but Grandma still forced Father to give up his eyes to replace the ones that Shotaro damaged in his trick! Mother told me that she regrets that event the most in her life since Father was done such an injustice. I don't like Grandma! Mother shouldn't have been punished!"

"Hana, your grandma is the Heavenly Empress. Whatever she says or decrees has to be followed. I'm sorry."

"I just want to see Mother again," Hana pulled her knees to her chest. Kuon scooted closer to her on the bench and enveloped her in his arms. "I know, Hana. Me too."

...

 _Three days later_

Kuon collapsed onto his bed with a sigh. He really missed Kyoko. It had only been six days since she had descended to the mortal realm, but he really wanted to see her. For the past six days, he had been working with the other disciples from Goraku Mountain on mobilizing an army for when Reino would mount an attack on the Heavens. They had spoken so extensively on battle strategy that Kuon was starting to go cross-eyed. Each night without Kyoko felt so lonely, and he missed her presence at his side, especially with the mountains of work he had to do.

"Kuon, you still have some legislature to sign."

Kuon groaned at the sound of Yashiro's voice and threw a pillow towards the man. "Leave me be. I'll do them tomorrow," Kuon mumbled.

"It's only been six days without Kyoko-chan, and you're already acting like this."

"I'm just worried. What if Reino tries to attack her while she's a mortal?"

"You and I both know that Empress Mogami has taken the necessary precautions and that only a select few even know of Kyoko-chan's heavenly trial."

"I still miss her..."

"If you miss her so much, then why don't you just pop into the mortal realm and check up on her?" Yashiro asked sarcastically. Kuon immediately sat up with renewed vigor.

"Good idea, Yashiro-san! If anyone's looking for me, tell them I'll be back in about an hour."

"Whaattt?!" Yashiro exclaimed, but Kuon had already teleported away. Yashiro shook his head. Kyoko could only be six years old now. What could Kuon do in the mortal realm with her at that age? Yashiro teleported after Kuon, wanting to know what Kuon was planning to do in the mortal realm.

…

When Kuon arrived in the mortal realm, he found Kyoko to be studying at an academy. He had no trouble recognizing her. Her two little pigtails of black hair reminded him of Hana. Kuon watched as she packed up her belongings as her school got out. However, Kuon was furious as he watched the other children start to bully her by taking her bag and throwing it into the snow outside. Kyoko didn't seem to care as she picked up the bag and dusted off the snow, but Kuon followed her as she made her way home after school, noticing that she was the young heiress of a grand estate.

After Kyoko greeted her parents, she seemed to be heading back to her room, but Kuon was surprised when she instead took a detour to a quiet stream. Kuon watched as her face suddenly lost its indifference, and she began to cry silently at the stream. Kuon felt his heart breaking for poor little Kyoko who hid all her feelings and only let them out in solitude.

Suddenly, Kuon had an idea and made himself look like a 10 year old boy with blonde hair and emerald eyes. From behind a tree, he made himself visible and slowly approached Kyoko.

"Are you all right?"

Kyoko looked up and gaped her mouth at the ethereal being that had suddenly appeared in front of her. "Are you a fairy?" She blurted out.

Kuon stopped himself from laughing at her spot-on answer and approached her as she tried to wipe her tears away. "Hey, do you want to see me fly?" Kuon asked. Kyoko nodded eagerly, and Kuon climbed on top of a rock, backflipping off of it onto the ground. When he looked at Kyoko he found her to be smiling widely in amusement, her tears no longer falling.

"Wow, that's amazing! I've always wanted to meet a fairy! What's your name?" Kyoko wondered.

"Do you not remember me?" Kuon wondered. Kyoko shook her head. Of course she wouldn't remember him if she took the amnesia potion.

"My name's Kuon."

"Nice to meet you, Prince Corn! My name is Kyoko!" Kyoko curtsied.

"Prince Corn?" Kuon couldn't help his smile at her mispronunciation of his name.

"Are you not the prince of the fairies? You look like you are," Kyoko tilted her head cutely to the side in confusion.

"Well then, I guess that would make you princess of the fairies, Kyoko-chan. I snuck a peak into my fate and learned that we would be married in 10 years, so I'm here today to take a look at my future wife," Kuon grinned.

"I'm your future wife?!" Kyoko gaped her mouth open in shock.

"Judging by your expression, do you not like how I look?" Kuon shifted on his two feet as if he was self-conscious.

"Of course not! You're the most handsome person I've ever met!" Kyoko assured him.

"Do you mean it?"

"I haven't met many men, but even the ones in paintings aren't even close to as handsome as you are!"

Kuon couldn't help the swell to his ego that her words caused.

"Wow, there's a hamburger!"

Kuon looked up to see that Kyoko had picked up a rock. Kuon shook his head with a smile and picked up a huge rock. "What about this hamburger here?"

Kyoko immediately glided over to him and bowed. "Nice to meet you, King Hamburger!"

Kuon grinned and played with Kyoko like a little kid for the rest of the night before promising that he would be back the next day.

…

The two met for a whole week each day after Kyoko was done with school. Everyday, she would return to that stream and find Corn waiting for her as if he had appeared out of nowhere.

Sadly, Kuon realized that he had already been away for too long and would have to return to the Fairy Kingdom soon. "Kyoko-chan, this is our last day together for now. I have to go back now."

"Can we still meet?"

"From now on, we can't meet," Kuon said, but he immediately wanted to take back the words as tears came to Kyoko's eyes.

"Th-Then can I write you letters?" Kyoko asked.

"I'm sorry, but it's impossible because I live in another world. There's no way to send letters to me."

"I-I don't want that! We just met! Corn…don't go…"

Kuon rubbed her back soothingly and held out his hand, fabricating the Princess Rosa necklace in his hand that Kyoko had left back in her room at the Sky Palace. He slipped the necklace around her neck.

"This is for you. While I'm not by your side, will you keep it with you?" Kuon asked. Kyoko marveled at the beautiful necklace and eagerly nodded before reaching into her robe and pulling out a water sapphire attached to a pendant. Kuon's eyes narrowed as he recognized the stone.

"What is this?"

"Corn, look through it like this!" Kyoko exclaimed, holding the stone up to the light in between her index finger and thumb. Kuon repeated the motion and watched as the stone changed from a sad blue to a vibrant amber.

"I don't have magic like you do, but this is the small piece of magic that I've had with me ever since I can remember. I hope Corn remembers me in the Fairy Kingdom!" Kyoko exclaimed. Kuon managed a smile and took the water sapphire from her hand.

"We'll meet again, Kyoko-chan," Kuon promised before suddenly disappearing into thin air as he made himself invisible to her. He watched as Kyoko's eyes widened in amazement and chuckled to himself.

"Who knew you'd plan so meticulously? You wouldn't even spare a young girl," Yashiro piped up from behind a tree. Kuon widened his eyes in surprise at Yashiro's presence and tried to hide the embarrassed blush on his cheeks at being caught with his hand.

"I'm just concerned that she'll get caught up in an unnecessary romance," Kuon responded, teleporting away before Yashiro could tease him further. Yashiro shook his head and looked out at young Kyoko one more time before following Kuon back to the Fairy Kingdom.

…

When Kyoko awoke the next morning, she looked around her neck and found the necklace to still be there. She smiled and got up, remembering that Corn had said he would be returning to the Fairy Kingdom. She wondered where that could be. Maybe one of the books in the library could tell her where the Fairy Kingdom was located?

After hurrying to the local library, for the rest of her off day from school, Kyoko combed over books, trying to find some mention of the Fairy Kingdom, but to no avail.

…

 _4 days later_

Sho teleported to the Mortal Realm and watched Kyoko through a window at her school. She was about ten years old now, and she looked so similar to how he remembered the Kyoko from his childhood. Back then, that mortal Ren hadn't existed, and neither had Hizuri Kuon. Sho was the only one to keep Kyoko company since they had been playmates

When Kyoko exited from school that day, Sho followed behind her. "Little girl!" Sho called out. Kyoko turned around and peered at him cautiously.

"Who are you?" Kyoko asked.

"Do you not know me?" Sho asked. Kyoko shook her head and turned away. Sho frowned and decided that he would input himself into her life one way or another.

…

"What have I done to have such a motivated child?" Kyoko's father smiled, watching as Kyoko studied. She was always at the top of her class, even if the other kids bullied her for it.

"I just hope to make Mother and Father proud," Kyoko replied as her eyes remained glued to the page of the book she was reading.

Kyoko's father motioned over to the doorway, and a brown-haired boy who was around Kyoko's age entered. "This is your cousin, Shotaro. He'll be staying at our manor for a few days, so why don't you take him as your playmate?"

Kyoko looked up from her reading for a second before looking back down. "I don't need a playmate."

"Hey, aren't you going to greet me?" Sho asked.

"There's books in the back if you want to read them. Don't disturb me," Kyoko said. Sho frowned and walked up to her desk, intending to shut the book she was reading. Kyoko looked up at him with a glare, and she swiped the book out of his grasp.

"I'm studying. Leave me alone," Kyoko glared at him. Sho wanted to argue with her some more, but he knew that look. She was very mad. Perhaps he could put his plan into action the next day instead.

...

For a few weeks, Sho tried to get Kyoko to spend time with him like they did when they were younger, but she ignored him each time. It didn't make sense! Why couldn't they just go back to how they were before?!

Today, it was snowing heavily, but Sho smirked as he strode over to Kyoko's room after hatching a brilliant plan. He rushed inside from the snow and saw Kyoko reading a storybook inside. In her hand, she was fingering a pale pink pendant that Sho had seen her with the whole time.

"It's snowing outside, don't you want to see?" Sho asked. Kyoko shook her head without looking up.

"Hey, I have a secret to tell you, Kyoko," Sho grinned. Kyoko turned to him and glared. "I told you, you're supposed to use the suffix Chan at the end of my name," Kyoko said, but Sho ignored her words.

"Did you know that your father is planning to marry me to you?" Sho asked excitedly. Kyoko immediately stood up.

"I'll tell him to break off the engagement right now," Kyoko announced, brushing past him before he grabbed her hand.

"No! I want to marry you!" Sho exclaimed.

"Let go!" Kyoko yelled as Sho tore the pendant out of her hands. He looked down at it and growled.

"You've been holding onto this all this time! Why is this necklace so important to you?! Who gave it to you?!"

"Give it back!"

"No!"

"Give it back, Shotaro!"

"No!"

Kyoko screamed and lunged at him, tearing the necklace out of his hands. She stormed out of the room.

"Come back here!" Sho yelled as Kyoko's mother came in. She stopped Sho from going after Kyoko. "Shotaro, what are you yelling about?"

"Why does Kyoko always carry around that necklace?!"

"Is that what you two were fighting about? No matter what, she doesn't let anyone touch her necklace. I'm not sure where she got it, but that necklace means the world to her."

"Who gave it to her?"

"All I know is that she always mentions a boy from the Fairy Kingdom gave it to her, but you know how Kyoko's always been interested in those fairy tales..."

"The Fairy Kingdom?"

"Do you know what she's talking about? If you do, then go tell her quickly. She'll be very happy."

"I know about it. I definitely do, but I'll never tell her where it is!" Sho clenched his fist as he ran off, never to be seen again. Kyoko's parents would mourn the disappearance of Sho, but Kyoko herself didn't care too much.

...

After learning that Kuon had intervened in Kyoko's mortal life as well, Sho decided that he would take extreme measures to make sure that guy left Kyoko. He had stolen one of the dolls that Kyoko had made of Ren since they had such perfect likeness to the mortal, and he had used magic to turn the doll into a seemingly mortal being who lay on the bed in front of him.

As Sho looked at his work, he scowled. Before, Kyoko had said that Ren and Kuon were the same person, but Sho was skeptical. They acted so differently, and Sho had seen Ren jump off Korosu Terrace. Not even immortals survived that jump, so there was no way that Ren could have survived and come back as Kuon. Kyoko was probably lying to him to scare him into thinking that Kuon would try to take vengeance on him, but Sho knew better. He wouldn't fall for her obvious tricks.

Sho looked at Ren's sleeping form and felt the hatred from all those years ago resurface. He didn't notice Shoko's entrance into the room, staring at Ren with wide eyes.

"Sho, what did you do!?" Shoko gaped.

"I took one of the dolls of that mortal that Kyoko made for her daughter and used my powers to give it a corporal form. He's unlike what Kyoko had wanted to make out of the Soul-gathering Sheep Pillow, but she won't be able to tell the difference as a mortal. I'll have him accompany Kyoko through her trial in the Mortal Realm."

"Why?"

"Hizuri and I have the same weakness. We're both in love with Kyoko. Since he's in love with Kyoko, he'll get jealous just like I was jealous of the mortal and Kyoko's affection. I want to make it clear to Hizuri that he's just a substitute for the mortal that Kyoko truly loves. So what if he's a king of the Fairy Kingdom? In the end, he's only a substitute for that dead mortal. He's no different than this doll," Sho snickered.

"So you want this doll to act like Ren and stay by the Crown Princess's side to anger Hizuri Kuon?"

"Hizuri will be as jealous of this substitute as I was of the mortal. His status as a high god doesn't make it any different!" Sho exclaimed before waving his hand and awakening the doll. Ren opened his brown eyes and sat up off the bed, obediently standing in front of Sho.

"You aren't as strong-willed as that mortal, but Kyoko's lost her memory in her mortal form, so she won't be able to tell the difference anyways. From now on, your name is Ren," Sho told the doll.

Ren bowed his head. "Yes, master."

…

Kyoko had turned 16 a while back, and she had already passed her examinations and secured a job as a scribe for the king of her region. She had even earned the title of head scribe with how precocious she was in her work, moving to live in the palace. As she was on her way to work one morning however, she bumped into someone and dropped all her papers onto the ground.

"I'm so sorry!" Kyoko exclaimed, hurriedly bending down to pick up the papers she had dropped. The man bent down as well to help her, and as she looked up to see who the man was, she gaped her mouth in shock.

"You're here, Corn?" Kyoko asked, although she was confused at the difference in his eye and hair color.

"I'm sorry, miss, have you mistaken me for someone else?" Ren replied. Kyoko looked at him more closely, realizing on closer inspection that he had none of the ethereal features that her prince had ten years ago.

"You're right. You might resemble him, but you aren't him," Kyoko deflated, picking up the rest of her papers. The man in front of her handed her the papers he had picked up.

"Are you the head scribe for the king?" Ren asked. Kyoko nodded.

"I'm your new partner then. My name's Tsuruga Ren," Ren introduced himself.

"My new partner?"

"I've come from the next kingdom over as a gift between our two kingdoms for your king. I was the head scribe there, so your king offered me the same position here, although he didn't want to get rid of you either, so we're sharing the title. I hope we can get along, miss?"

"Mogami Kyoko," Kyoko smiled.

* * *

 **H-Nala-** Reino won't be causing any trouble for the time being. The Sky Palace made sure to keep the whole situation under wraps to prevent any interferences. I hope you liked the modified Corn canon in Kyoko's mortal life. Of course Kuon had to visit her since he can't stand to be away from her for so long. At least he's able to spend a bit of time with Hana, but Hana is also stuck in the Sky Palace under the care of the servants there as long as Kyoko's gone. As for Kuon finding out about being Ren, you'll just have to wait and see... Thanks for reviewing!

 **JeremyVD-** When Kuon regains his memories, we'll have to wait and see his reaction. I agree with you 100% about Sho though. He is truly treating Kyoko as a possession even though he revels in the fact that he's surrounded by women. He can't get over how Kyoko is the only one who won't fawn over him, so he tries to manipulate her emotions. Reino won't be intervening in Kyoko's mortal life since he has no idea, so luckily he won't whisk her away or anything, but I can't promise about later chapters... Good guess on Sho being sent to the mortal realm, but he actually went there of his own volition and is trying to seduce Kyoko with a figurine to make Kuon jealous. But as we will learn later, seducing the apparent heir to the throne is a big no-no... I hope you liked the first chapter of Kyoko's mortal life, and thanks for the review!

 **The Real Jackie-O-** Kyoko is being well protected by the Sky Palace. Saena made sure that few people even knew about her heavenly trial, and although I didn't mention it in the story explicitly, her vessel is being protected. 2 months isn't too long, but Kuon's already starting to miss Kyoko so much that he decided he wanted to see her. Sho as well. Thanks for the review!

 **paulagato-** A heavenly trial is about suffering, but Kyoko's suffering will be different from how Kuon suffered as a mortal. Reino luckily won't be able to find her as a mortal since he doesn't know she is undergoing a heavenly trial. Kuon will regain his memories _very_ soon, but it's not going to be happily ever after immediately after he remembers everything. You have to remember that he was deeply hurt by what happened, and having that all flood back into his memories at once will make him a bit less receptive to marriage, at least for a while. As for Hana, she's lonely in the Sky Palace all by herself, but she's at least able to visit Kuon at times while Kyoko is away. Thank you for reviewing!


	49. Chapter 49

**Wow, another chapter in the same week?**

* * *

Kuon was surprised when he first heard of Momose and Kijima's plans to reopen Goraku Mountain to train new disciples for the coming war. Even more surprising was their announcement of their engagement, but Kuon was happy for his two friends finding love together. Kuon had never really been an excellent commander of troops or teacher like some of Rick's other disciples, but he excelled as a soldier. Nevertheless, he was always invited to the strategy meetings between the other disciples, but he spent most of his time working out and practicing his combat and magic. It had been almost 2 weeks since Kuon had last seen Kyoko, and he had decided to pay a visit to the mortal realm again. She should be about 18 now, and Kuon let himself appear visible to the mortal eye as he approached the manor she had lived in the last time he saw her. He caught the eye of one of the maids who came over upon making eye contact with him.

"Is there something you need?" The maid wondered, ogling over the handsome man who had just appeared.

"Is Miss Mogami Kyoko at home?"

"Sorry, but she moved out a few years ago to live in the royal palace as the king's head scribe after her mother and father passed away," The maid replied. Kuon nodded and thanked her for her help before heading over to the royal palace. He chose to walk instead of teleport since there were many people up and around, and they would question if he were to suddenly disappear into thin air. As he walked through the crowd however, Kuon began to regret his choice as a few women came up to him to try to get his attention. He politely ignored them and continued on his way.

The sun had already started to set by the time Kuon made it to the royal palace. Sneaking into a dark alleyway, Kuon made himself invisible to the mortals again and walked past the guards at the gate into the royal palace. It took some time for him to find Kyoko's quarters, but eventually, he found her sitting outside at a table with a man. He couldn't see the man's face from his position, but he seemed very familiar.

"Here's a toast to you tonight under the peach blossoms," Ren smiled, holding up his cup. Kyoko clinked her glass against his and drank the liquid in her own glass; however, she suddenly began to cough violently once she had. Ren set his cup down and looked to her in concern.

"Mogami-san, lately you've been coughing more often. The physician has told you to stop overworking yourself. It's bad for your health," Ren worried over her, soothingly rubbing her back. Kuon watched their interaction from afar and couldn't help the green-eyed jealousy slowly claiming him. He hadn't seen her for only two weeks, and his token of love already meant nothing. Had she really gotten involved in a relationship as a mortal?

Kuon didn't notice as Sho suddenly teleported behind him. "I haven't seen you for a while, Hizuri," Sho said by way of greeting him.

"How did you know I was here?" Kuon wondered, hiding his surprise at Sho's appearance with a calculated smile.

"Your invisibility magic is but a camouflage. You might be able to hide from the mortals, but not the deities. I saw some shimmering lights here from above the clouds, so I came in search of you. Turns out I was right," Sho smirked.

"What are you doing here?" Kuon wondered.

"Kyoko's going through her heavenly trial alone in the Mortal Realm, so I was worried she might be lonely. I made her a doll of the person she loves the most to stay by her side. I came here today to see if that doll is taking good care of her."

"I wasn't paying attention then. I didn't notice that the man was a doll under human skin. You're so thoughtful, Fuwa," Kuon smiled brightly, the sparkles in his smile radiating his anger.

"Do you know who I made the figurine resemble?" Sho asked. Kuon didn't respond to Sho's taunt, only looking out at Kyoko and Ren still drinking together.

"Have you heard the name Ren?" Sho asked when Kuon didn't reply. Kuon remained silent, although he felt the blood in his veins boiling.

"You know, you don't have to take it to heart. Kyoko is only a mortal now, so she can't tell that Ren is just a doll. He could fulfill the wish she has had on her mind for a long time. Once Kyoko returns to the Heavens, she won't care about a doll, even if it has that mortal's face."

"So you're telling me that Kyoko has this figurine on her mind _now_. Aren't you worried that she'll punish you for fooling her with this doll when she returns?"

"If she insists on blaming me, I'll have nothing to say about it since I only did it in her best interest. But I guess this just shows that if you love someone to the core, you'll still have an impression of that person and fall in love with him again even after drinking the amnesia potion."

"You really do understand Kyoko well, don't you?" Kuon said through clenched teeth as his smile increased in intensity.

"I've always been devoted to her. Everyone in the Heavens knows that. By the way, did you know that for the past 300 years, Kyoko has been trying to gather Ren's soul with the Soul-gathering Sheep Pillow? This doll isn't quite what she was going for, but it seems to have done the trick," Sho baited him again.

"Of course I've heard about it. I have to say Fuwa, you make a great point. The doll is very similar to the statues that I've seen of Ren. It's saved me much trouble now that he's here caring for Kyoko. When Kyoko returns to her immortal self and blames you for it, I'll put in a few good words for you," Kuon smiled so brightly that the sparkles in his smile were palpable. Sho only smirked more at Kuon's anger and bowed. "Thank you," Sho grinned before teleporting away.

Kuon let his smile drop and watched as Kyoko started to cough again. He couldn't help the marred frown that graced his features. That night as Corn, Kuon had asked Kyoko if she remembered who he was, but she hadn't recognized him. But even after taking the amnesia potion, she still couldn't forget Hana's father.

When Kyoko had confessed that she loved him, he had just taken it as it was. He had never wondered why she fell for him out of all the male deities in the realm. Now that he was thinking about it, Kyoko had mistaken him for Ren when they first met in the East Sea. What if she had only fallen for him since he resembled Ren? Was he nothing more than Ren's substitute? Kyoko was in love with that mortal for 300 years after his death. For centuries, she had been so devoted and never once faltered. Why would she suddenly fall in love with Kuon right after they met?

A peach blossom petal fell onto Kyoko's black hair, and Kuon watched as Ren plucked it out of her hair with an amused smile. Kyoko smiled back at him and giggled. Kuon teleported back to the Fairy Kingdom, not able to keep watching Kyoko interact with Ren.

That little voice in the back of his head had been right all along. Kyoko had only fallen in love with him since he was a replacement for Ren. If Kuon hadn't seen her acting so lovey-dovey with the doll, then maybe he could still lie to himself that she was truly in love with him. He loved her for who she was, but if she only loved him since he resembled Ren and transferred her love for Ren onto him, then Kuon wouldn't want to accept such feelings.

When Kuon was gone, Kyoko turned to Ren and smiled sadly. "You're always so kind, Tsuruga-san, but-"

"I know. You're waiting for your fairy prince."

"I'm sorry. He said we would meet again, but I haven't seen him since I was 6 years old. Nevertheless, I have to have hope that he'll come back!" Kyoko clutched her fist in determination before starting to cough violently yet again.

"Mogami-san, you really should rest!" Ren exclaimed in concern.

When Kyoko was done with her coughing fit, she replied, "Resting wouldn't do me any good. This is just a love sickness."

…

"How did it go, Sho?" Shoko wondered when Sho teleported back to the Sky Palace.

"When Hizuri saw that doll with Kyoko, he seemed to be calm, but he can't fool me. I've finally found his weakness. It's just a matter of time before he leaves Kyoko," Sho smirked like the cat that ate the canary.

"Congratulations, Sho," Shoko smiled.

"Not a day goes by that I don't hate that mortal, but perhaps today I don't. Since Kyoko loved him to the core, I'm sure he wouldn't want her to marry anyone else," Sho speculated.

"But Sho, what happens when the Crown Princess returns and figures out that you deceived her with a doll? What will you do if she blames you?" Shoko worried.

"My kingdom was wiped out 70,000 years ago to save the Sky Kingdom. The Heavenly Empress still needs me to keep the generals loyal to my kingdom in line. Because of this upcoming war, lots of generals are hanging around the palace. Don't worry, I'll be fine. Nothing can happen to me. I'm too important to lose," Sho smirked confidently.

…

Yashiro was starting to get worried. After Kuon had returned from the mortal realm, he had shut himself in his room for the past two days and refused to come out. Some of Rick's disciples had expressed concern for Kuon's absence from their meetings on war strategy. The only time Kuon had even come out was to request for Yashiro to bring in more wine.

Yashiro carried another tray full of wine to Kuon's room and knocked on the door. He heard a faint "Come in" and opened the door to find Kuon sitting criss-cross on the ground, staring blankly at the door. Various bottle lay around the room, all empty. Yashiro placed the tray on the bedside table and watched as Kuon took the bottle on the ground next to him and brought it to his lips.

"Kuon, we're almost out of wine. I think you should stop," Yashiro said in concern. Kuon didn't reply, only wordlessly drinking from the bottle of wine in his hand.

"Kuon, please. You've been cooped up in here for the past two days after you came back from the mortal realm. What happened while you were there? If it's something to do with Kyoko-"

"Do you know that when I asked Kyoko if she knew me when she was young, she said she didn't? Then just a week later, she fell in love with another man," Kuon laughed sardonically as he drank.

"Kuon, you know she took an amnesia potion, right? It's normal that she doesn't remember you," Yashiro replied logically.

"She doesn't remember me, but do you know that the man she always hangs out with looks exactly like Hana's father? I lied to myself before and chose to conveniently forget about that Soul-gathering Sheep Pillow she tried to use to collect Ren's soul. I thought that I shouldn't be concerned about her past, but when I saw her recognize that man instead of me, I knew that the one she has on her mind isn't me. It's Ren," Kuon smiled bitterly as he took another drink before placing the empty bottle on the ground.

"...I know that she loved that man more deeply than she loves me. I've always known this. Perhaps it was because I had my eyes covered and resembled her dead husband that she fell for me," Kuon stood up, crossing to the other side of the room to grab another bottle of wine from the tray that Yashiro had brought in.

"Kuon, why don't you wait and ask Kyoko-chan when she returns? If she really took you as a substitute, we'll break off the engagement. I've never seen you like this. I've only heard that you were almost half-dead when you came back from your heavenly trial, but today you seem even worse," Yashiro said in concern.

"Why does everyone keep mentioning my heavenly trial when I can't remember anything about it?!" Kuon groaned.

"Takarada-san told me that you took an amnesia potion to forget about the experience. I never learned exactly what you went through during the trial, but you were half-dead when they found you. I'm sorry, but that's all I know," Yashiro apologized.

"I should go visit the Sky Palace. They keep records of the heavenly trials of each god or goddess. They must have mine," Kuon said, teleporting away before Yashiro could stop him. Yashiro widened his eyes in shock. A drunk Kuon in the Sky Palace was not good.

…

Kuon teleported into Kyoko's room and stumbled from his drunkeness, falling onto her bed. He had slept with her so many times on this bed already, but he wondered if she imagined Ren each time he made love to her. Kuon laughed cynically at the thought and looked to the bedside table to see the Soul-gathering Sheep Pillow laying there.

Kuon frowned as the pillow's presence solidified his earlier thoughts. Of course she would think to say goodbye to this pillow right before she left. Ren had always been more important to her than Kuon. Kuon looked at the pillow and felt a surge of anger, wanting to rip it into shreds.

Kuon took the Soul-gathering Sheep Pillow in his hands and tore it straight down the middle, but suddenly, a green smoke and light erupted out of the pillow. Kuon squinted at the sudden brightness, and the smoke gathered around him as memories were forced into his head. That dream he had of Ren stumbling out of the protective barrier around his hut with Kyoko came back to mind, but Kuon watched the scene unfold behind the eyes of Ren this time.

The memory then switched to one where Kuon watched himself fight with Sho on top of Korosu Terrace, and Kuon saw as Sho strategically placed himself so that it would look as if Kuon had pushed him off the terrace. The memory suddenly switched again to one in which Kyoko stood in front of him. He was pleading with her, saying that he hadn't pushed Sho off Korosu Terrace, but she slowly came towards him, about to take away his eyes.

The final memory that Kuon remembered was shrouded in darkness due to the loss of his eyes. It was when he had held the water sapphire in his hand and told Kyoko that she could let him go and that he could let her go as well. A few seconds later, he felt himself falling endlessly until he lost consciousness.

The ripped Soul-gathering Sheep Pillow fell out of Kuon's shaking hands onto the floor. His heart was racing and his mind was trying to process everything that he had just been shown. He looked down at the discarded pillow, trying to get his eyes to focus. His chest felt like it was going to rip in two. Everything made sense now. Those were his forgotten memories from his heavenly trial. _He was Ren._

Kuon took a steadying breath and staggered over to a mirror to look at his eyes, now remembering why his vision had deteriorated. Before he processed everything else, Kuon realized just how much Sho had tricked him as a mortal. His profuse anger from earlier when he had seen Sho increased ten-fold now that he knew just how far Sho had gone to ensure Kuon's death as a mortal. Now that Kuon was done with his heavenly trial, it seemed inappropriate to keep his eyes in Sho's sockets. Sho must be uneasy with those eyes. Kuon teleported to a certain consort's quarters in his drunken state with a resolve to get back what was his.

* * *

 **THE MOMENT HAS FINALLY ARRIVED! I know all of you have been waiting for so long for Kuon to regain his memories! Now that he has, we'll have to see how he plans to deal with Sho next chapter... Cliffhangers. Mwahaha.**

 **PaulaGaTo-** Luckily, Sho didn't send Ren to Kyoko to harm her, but only to make Kuon jealous, and it unfortunately worked. Now that Kuon has his memories back, you'll have to wait and see next chapter how he processes everything that happened between him and Kyoko...

 **H-Nala-** All immortals have some powers of teleportation, but Hana is being watched over in the Sky Palace on orders from Saena. She's still a child, and she must be protected. She's not allowed to recklessly teleport anywhere she wants, but she is allowed certain visits with Kuon; however, these visits are limited. Sho inserted the doll Ren into the mortal world as Kyoko's partner to try to make Kuon jealous, but he wasn't actively controlling Ren. I didn't put the Guam scene into Kyoko's mortal life since I feel that I put a lot of that scene in when Kuon and Kyoko first met in the Water Kingdom, and you're right that we already had Tragic Marker as well. Since we're so close to the end of the story and I've already used a lot of canon scenes in this story, there might not be many other instances that directly follow canon since they have been dispersed throughout this fic.

 **brennakai-** Hope that you liked this chapter then since Kuon finally remembered he was Ren! Sho will cower in fear at Kuon's absurd amount of anger next chapter, and this is only the start of Sho's punishment. I have a lot planned for his retribution after all he did to poor Kyoko and Ren/Kuon...Mwahahaha


	50. Chapter 50

**Here's the last of my series of quick updates for this fic! Next chapter will be up in about two weeks as I try to polish the ending to my liking...**

 **On a side note, I actually wrote most of this chapter about halfway through the story since I already knew I would write it eventually and was too impatient to torture Sho after writing about just how much Sho did to Ren. Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it :D.**

* * *

When Kuon arrived in front of Sho's quarters, Sho's maids, Shoko and Mimori, came out to greet him. Kuon rolled his eyes. He was originally planning to do this without any witnesses, but it seemed like he wouldn't be able to do so anymore.

"Hizuri-san," They started to bow and say before Kuon brushed past them into Sho's room. They moved to stop him, but he waved his hand to put up a barrier around the room, preventing Shoko and Mimori from getting in. They pounded on the barrier, begging for Kuon to let them in, but he ignored them and cast another spell to drown out their voices. Sitting in the middle of the room playing a guitar, Sho set his instrument down and raised a confused eyebrow at Kuon. However, he quickly swallowed his confusion at Kuon's sudden appearance and smirked, determined to get a rise out of the immortal.

"Hizuri. How nice of you to visit. I assume you've come to ask me about how Kyoko is doing. She just returned, and she should be visiting me soon to hear a song that I wrote for her. I wonder if she's gone to visit you yet since she's been back..." Sho smirked. Kuon ignored Sho's attempts to provoke him and went to sit down on a chair in the room, trying to ignore the sting in his heart at the mention of Kyoko. No. He could only deal with one problem at a time. He would have to push out thoughts of Kyoko from his mind until this was done.

"I'm glad that you're able to entertain her when she visits you. Today I've come to take care of you," Kuon proceeded with a sadistic smirk. Sho didn't reply, confused by Kuon's words.

"Huh?"

"Fuwa, you've used my eyes for 300 years. How have they been?" Kuon asked. Sho immediately froze, his eyes going as wide as saucers.

"Y-Y-You, what did you just say?"

"You've been using these eyes for so long. Is it possible you forgot where they came from? 300 years ago, I had a heavenly trial and lost my eyes here. Today, I came to get them back," Kuon smiled viciously, a small dagger materializing in his hands. He brandished the knife and smiled to himself as Sho began to unconsciously back away.

"H-How could you be him?! I thought Kyoko was just lying when she told me that crazy story! No one survives a jump like that!"

With Sho's words, Kuon realized that Kyoko had known everything this whole time. However, he didn't dwell on his plethora of thoughts about Kyoko at the moment, instead choosing to stuff down all the conflicting emotions that the thought of her elicited.

"Do you want to do it yourself, or should I do it?" Kuon caressed the tip of the dagger. Sho dropped to the ground.

"T-There's no way! How could you have regained your memory after an amnesia potion?!"

"Do you want to slice out your eyes yourself, or should I?!" Kuon asked impatiently.

"H-How did you s-survive after jumping off Korosu Terrace?! Ren was just a mortal…"

"Just because 300 years ago I was a weak and cowardly mortal, it doesn't excuse what you did. To think a puny god like you dug out my eyes and tricked me into jumping off Korosu Terrace," Kuon stood above Sho indignantly. He bent down to use the tip of the dagger to raise Sho's chin to look at him in the eyes. Kuon smiled cruelly at the fear in Sho's eyes. He wasn't usually a sadist, but all of the internal darkness that Kuon had harbored seemed to seep out of him at this moment. Sho remained mumbling to himself about how unlikely it was that Kuon survived, not answering Kuon's earlier questions.

"It seems like you don't want to do it yourself. When I'm angry, my hands aren't that stable and may shake. It might hurt a bit when I dig, so bear with me," Kuon threatened, pointing the dagger to Sho's eyes. Sho immediately bounced up and rushed past him, trying to escape.

"Don't dig out my eyes!" Sho cried out, bolting towards the door. He instantly hit the barrier that Kuon had put up and was thrown backwards onto the floor.

"You liked to act upstanding and venerable 300 years ago. Every time I saw you, you pretended that you were this great immortal who held the Crown Princess's heart all to himself. For once, can't you show me the darkest evils that were truly in your heart?!" Kuon growled, pacing around Sho like a wolf circling its prey. Sho tried to cast a spell to break the barrier, but it was of no use. He had never ascended to high god or even high immortal, so his powers were inconsequential compared to Kuon's, and there was no way he could break Kuon's spell. Kuon bent down and gripped the dagger in his hand tightly, casting an immobilizing spell on Sho. Sho screamed as Kuon pressed the tip of the dagger to Sho's cheek and drew blood. Sho was helpless to do anything for the sting of pain.

"When Kyoko took my eyes, she told me that the punishment was an eye for an eye. We both know how your eyes were lost in the first place. We also know how _my_ eyes ended up in _your_ sockets. Why can't I take back what's mine?! How dare you imply that they're _yours_?!" Kuon exclaimed, slashing the magical dagger at Sho's eyes to cut them out of his sockets. Sho howled in pain and clutched at his eyes, now free from the immobilizing spell. Kuon raised his palm to look at the two blue eyes in his hand and cast a spell to revert them back to their original brilliant emerald green.

"300 years ago, Empress Mogami took my eyes secretly. Today I took yours secretly as well. This pays for half of your debt to me when you took my eyes. The other half is when you tricked me to jump off Korosu Terrace. As for that debt, you can either jump off Korosu Terrace yourself or you can tell Empress Mogami that you will use your feeble powers to fight in this coming war as a human shield and never come back to the Sky Palace again," Kuon snorted. Blood ran down Sho's face from his empty sockets as Sho clenched his eyes closed, but Sho sat up in determination.

"No! I will not do either!" Sho fought back. Kuon only smirked in response.

"So you want me to tell Empress Mogami about this matter? You know, my mind changes all the time. If I speak with her, I might not suggest the same punishments as today," Kuon spoke liltingly. Sho didn't respond, and Kuon stood up. The maids on the other side of the barrier looked at him with horror as he dissipated the barrier and walked away with his head held high. Shoko and Mimori immediately went to Sho's side, crying at the cruelty they had just witnessed.

"Call the palace medic," Kuon called out over his shoulder.

"You won't get away with this, Hizuri!" Sho yelled out, still howling in pain, but Kuon only increased his pace.

"Shoko, Mimori, take me to Empress Mogami! She won't let this injustice stand!" Sho exclaimed. Shoko nodded and wrapped his arm around her shoulder as Mimori took his other arm, helping him towards the throne room.

...

Kuon walked along the familiar path that he had walked down when he was blind. He still remembered the way to Korosu Terrace even now, and as he climbed the final steps to the terrace, he gazed into the gaping pit of darkness. No tears fell down his face, but his eyes were hollow of emotion as he stood at the edge of the black hole. The pain from 300 years ago still ached like it just happened yesterday. He couldn't care less about everything that Kyoko tried to do to protect him from death as a mortal. All he could remember were the countless lonely nights he spent in the Hall of Radiance as his last glimmers of hope slowly died away. How could he marry Kyoko after learning the truth?

Kuon stepped closer to the black hole and looked inside. He should have died that day he jumped off Korosu Terrace. It would have been sound retribution for all the horrible things that he had done in his life. Kuon looked down at his blood-stained hands that still held a knife. He hadn't murdered Sho today, but that didn't excuse his past crimes. Kuon gripped the handle of the knife until his knuckles turned white before collapsing onto the floor and dropping the knife. The knife plummeted into the darkness of the black hole, falling endlessly.

Kuon watched as the knife fell and clutched at his wrist. He looked down at his hands to see that they were still covered in Sho's blood and tried to wipe them on his white robe, causing long red streaks of the blood to stain his white robe.

Kuon's eyes flashed as he imagined the blood that must have soaked Kyoko's own hands when she took his eyes. The memory of that day came to mind, and Kuon clawed at his head, trying to get the memory out. But the memory continued on, and Kuon screamed out as he felt the pain of his eyes being removed.

From somewhere, Kuon heard someone sobbing, but he didn't know who else would be close enough to hear their sobbing. A drop of water fell onto Kuon's robes, and he touched his fingers to his face to realize that he was crying. The sobs that he was hearing were his own. Kuon continued to sob as the rest of his memories assaulted him, reminding him of the anguish he went through as a mortal in the Sky Palace and Kyoko's betrayal.

…

As Lory walked through the green meadow of LME after returning from a meeting with Kuu about Kuon and Kyoko's upcoming marriage, he recognized a lone figure in the distance. Lory immediately had flashbacks to that day that he had found Kuon in LME's meadow after a heavy rain. Just like that day, Kuon's robes were covered with blood, but Kuon seemed to be physically fine this time. That only brought into question whose blood was on his robes.

"Kuon, what brings you here?" Lory asked cautiously as he approached him. Kuon looked up and Lory's heart dropped at the dead look in his eyes. Without saying anything, Kuon opened his palm to reveal two emerald eyes, extending his hand to Lory. Lory automatically opened his own palm for Kuon to place them into. Lory studied the two eyes in his palm silently as he realized exactly what had happened.

"It's a miracle that you were able to get these eyes back after 300 years. It's especially a miracle that you could still remember your heavenly trial after taking the amnesia potion I gave you when we didn't tether your memories to any vessel."

"Put the eyes back in for me," Kuon requested hoarsely as he raised his head, the gruffness of his voice due to all the sobbing he did on top of Korosu Terrace. Kuon's eyes were hollow of any emotion and red from the crying.

"I can do that, but first let me cleanse the evil aura around them."

"There's no rush," Kuon responded softly, turning around and teleporting away before Lory could say anything else. Lory looked down sadly at the eyes in the palm of his hand and wondered if there was still hope for his favorite couple after Kuon had learned the truth.

...

Back in the mortal realm, a 35-year-old Kyoko coughed out blood into a handkerchief as she lay down on her bed, the pendant from Corn clutched in her other hand. A doctor was in the room, but he had already told Ren that she didn't have much time left. Ren quickly kneeled down next to her and took her hand in his own, looking down to hide the grief ravaging his face.

"I'm sorry, Ren. I've been waiting for one person my whole life, and I let myself become lovesick like this," Kyoko smiled painfully.

"I know. You've been waiting for that fairy from the Fairy Kingdom."

"Yes. He came to me when I was 6 years old. He said that he'd marry me when I grew up. Sadly, he never came again. It's said that fairies live a long time. My short life is but a few days of his life," Kyoko sniffed before coughing again weakly.

"It seems…that I won't be able to wait any longer. Will...he blame me for breaking our promise?" Kyoko wondered, a tear falling down her cheek. Ren shook his head and used his thumb to wipe away the tear.

"He would understand," Ren assured her. Kyoko nodded weakly.

"After my death…burn me to ashes…and bury this…pendant…with…me…" Kyoko said as she closed her eyes and took her last breath.

…

When Kyoko opened her eyes again, she was back in her bedroom in the Sky Palace. That had definitely not been 60 years. She must have died from her lovesickness earlier than expected. She shook her head in amusement at Kuon's interference in her trial but suddenly remembered the mortal Ren. Kyoko frowned as she realized that someone had definitely tried to trick her using that doll. She had a feeling that she knew who had done so.

Kyoko stood up from her bed but stepped on something. She looked down to see the Soul-gathering Sheep Pillow ripped into two on the ground. That was weird. How had it gotten there? Who had done such a thing?

Kyoko heard a frantic knock on her door and opened it to find Ruto. She looked at him quizzically, wondering why he seemed so distressed. The man was usually very stoic, but today, she could definitely see the lines of worry on his face.

"Crown Princess, welcome back. Empress Mogami requests your presence in the throne room. There's a big problem, so please follow me immediately," Ruto said, rushed.

"Wait, what's going on?" Kyoko wondered.

"Hizuri Kuon broke into Consort Sho's chambers and dug out his eyes before disappearing. All of the Sky Kingdom's generals were in the throne room for a meeting when Consort Sho burst in with blood all over his face and explained that Hizuri Kuon had maliciously attacked him. It came out that Hizuri Kuon was the mortal Ren from 300 years ago. Some are arguing that the Fairy Kingdom is bullying the Sky Kingdom. Others say that Consort Sho framed Kuon all those years ago. They're still fighting even now."

"Where's Kuon?" Kyoko asked with a shaky breath. She had always feared Kuon ever remembering his heavenly trial, and it seemed that her nightmares had come true while she was away.

"We think he returned to the Fairy Kingdom," Ruto replied. Kyoko immediately rose her hand to teleport away, but Ruto stopped her before she could.

"Crown Princess, Hizuri Kuon does not have anyone to back his case right now. Many of the generals are on Consort Sho's side since he is the heir from a loyal tribe," Ruto said. Kyoko groaned but nodded begrudgingly. She would just have to visit Kuon later after this mess was cleared up.

"I understand. I will follow you, but I need you to bring someone here. There was a figurine named Ren who was my friend in the mortal realm. Could you bring him here?"

"Of course, Your Highness," Ruto bowed before teleporting away to fulfill her request.

…

When Kuon walked into the Fairy Kingdom's Palace, he immediately approached Yashiro. Yashiro's jaw dropped at Kuon's state of dress, the crusted blood staining his white robe and his red eyes scaring Yashiro.

"Starting today, the Fairy Kingdom is closed. I am not meeting with anyone. Set up a teleportation barrier," Kuon ordered.

"W-what about the Crown Princess? Haven't you been waiting for her to come back? Sh-she should be done with her heavenly trial soon," Yashiro tried to argue without his voice shaking. Kuon ignored him and staggered into his room. Yashiro watched as Kuon immediately picked up a bottle started to drink yet again. Yashiro followed him into the room and took the bottle out of his hands.

"Kuon, you have to stop. What's going on with you?! Look at you! You're worrying me! Why did you come back like this?! This is almost worse than-"

"Worse than when I returned from my heavenly trial?" Kuon finished his sentence.

"Exactly!"

"Well I guess it makes sense considering how both are due to the same cause," Kuon said cryptically before disappearing into the interior of the palace. He was probably headed to the garden. Yashiro was left confused as to why Kuon was acting like this, but he had no choice but to follow orders until Kuon calmed down. Besides, by the way Kuon had returned, it almost seemed as if he had killed someone, and Yashiro was not ready to get into that kind of mess. Once Kuon was calmer, maybe he would give an explanation for his confusing behavior that would clear everything up.

* * *

 **Sweet sweet retribution for Sho, but also despair in Kuon after finding out he's Ren. Let me know your reactions to Sho finally starting to get what he deserves!**

 **On a side note, the recent Skip Beat! chapter really depressed me with how much of a step back Kyoko and Ren took in their relationship because of this whole incident... Let's hope that next chapter resolves part of it...**

 **H-Nala-** Yeah, it all comes full circle with Kuon remembering because of Sho's tricks. Having everything come back at once is a bit much for Kuon, and he went through _a lot_ of trauma as Ren that isn't so easily fixed. He has a lot to work through to piece together his memories as both Ren and Kuon, and you'll have to wait and see if he's quite able to forgive Kyoko for all that happened... Thanks for reviewing!

 **melchormonica8-** We're getting closer and closer to the end of the story! As of now, I think this story is going to have about five more chapters, but I'm not 100% certain because I haven't totally written out the ending yet. Most of the conflicts are being solved with Kuon remembering his mortal life and Sho getting his comeuppance, but there's still the looming threat of Reino on the horizon... Thank you for your review!

 **Erza Tsuruga-** Glad you liked the update! Hope you also liked this early update lol. I hope this chapter was satisfying in seeing Sho finally getting what he deserves. It's been a few more days since the update to the original manga has been out, but sadly it's really short and disappointing to most of the people who I've heard read it so far. Thanks for reviewing!

 **brennakai-** Hope you liked Sho's suffering this chapter then :D. Drunk Kuon is going to have to sort through all of his emotions surrounding Kyoko, but he'll need a bit of time to do that. Right now, he's pretty angry and heartbroken, but he needs a bit more time to process the situation before he can realize that Kyoko truly loves him. The way that I interpret Kuon's character is that he's so scarred from Rick's accident that he would never hurt another soul, so that's why I didn't have him kill Sho outright. Besides, there's punishments much worse than death. Thank you for the review!

 **paulagato-** Kuon got his eyes back and humiliated Sho! As for Kuon forgiving Kyoko, he's processing a lot right now, so it'll take him a bit of time to think through everything and piece together that Kyoko always loved him and that she did what she did in the Sky Palace to protect him. Thanks for reviewing as always!


	51. Chapter 51

"Hizuri Kuon threatened me by telling me to seek punishment from the Heavenly Empress and become a human shield in the upcoming war and never return to the heavens!" Sho exclaimed in front of Saena's throne. The scribe at her side noted down the last of Sho's account of the incident as Kyoko entered the throne room with Ruto and Ren. All immediately bowed to Saena.

"You've returned, Kyoko?" Saena was surprised.

"I managed to make it back today since my trial was unintentionally shortened. I heard there was a problem in the throne room, so I came to take a look," Kyoko said casually.

"K-Kyoko!" Sho exclaimed. He had been kneeling on the floor pitifully since he couldn't see. Sho felt his way around the floor to where Kyoko was standing. He latched onto her robes.

"Kyoko, you have to uphold justice for me!" Sho clung onto her robes.

"Don't worry. I'm here to uphold justice today," Kyoko replied, kicking Sho off her and stepping back. She motioned for Ren to come forward who knelt down in front of Sho. Saena widened her eyes in shock at seeing Ren who she had just learnt was also Hizuri Kuon, but she quickly realized that it was only a figurine.

"Your Highness," Ren greeted Sho. Sho gasped in recognition of the voice but turned away.

"Wh-Who are you?!"

"It's me, Your Highness."

"I-I don't know him! Take him away! Don't let him come near me!" Sho exclaimed. Kyoko waved her hand, dispelling the spell that Sho had cast on the doll and returning the doll into Sho's lap. Sho felt the doll in his hands and threw it away from him.

"Kyoko, what's the meaning of the doll?" Saena wondered.

"When I was going through my heavenly trial in the Mortal Realm, Shotaro stole one of Hana's dolls of Ren and tried to use the doll to seduce me. According to Sky Kingdom law, how would Mother punish him?"

"It's the crime of seducing an apparent heir to the throne with witchcraft. The punishment would be a stripping of his celestial status and banishment from the heavens to be reborn as an animal," Saena responded, motioning for her scribe to write that down.

"No! You don't have proof it was me who turned the doll into that mortal! Empress Mogami, you must uphold justice for me! Hizuri Kuon conspired to frame me!"

"What proof do you have that he tried to frame you?" Kyoko asked.

"H-He was the one who tried to trick you in the Mortal Realm! Y-You must still have that necklace that he gave you to stop you from falling in love with any other man! H-He must have bewitched the necklace!" Sho came up with a lie.

"You mean this?" Kyoko asked, pulling Princess Rosa's chain out of her robes.

"Mother, do you sense any foul magic on this object?" Kyoko held out the pendant to her mother.

"The only magic I sense on any object in this room is the magic that was used to animate that doll," Saena shook her head.

"E-Empress Mogami, please believe me! Even if Hizuri didn't use magic on the pendant, it's clear that he interfered in Kyoko's heavenly trial!"

"Even if Kuon did interfere, you're the one who might have potentially damaged our relationship with the Fairy Kingdom by trying to compete with him for my mortal love with that doll," Kyoko replied.

"How did this all get pinned on me?Empress Mogami, they're all villains!" Sho yelled. Kyoko stepped forward to address him again.

"As my side consort, what is your crime for slandering your wife?" Kyoko spoke up.

"That's even more severe than the last crime-" Saena began to say before she was interrupted by Sho.

"Kyoko, please! How could you be so cruel?! Have you forgotten how we grew up together? I-I was just too flustered, so I panicked. Please, you can't slander me like this, Kyoko! Stop siding with that fairy king!"

"I'm the Crown Princess of the Heavens. I wouldn't side with anyone in a case like this. Even if I were to side with someone, wouldn't it be my side consort who I am legally married to?" Kyoko smiled saccharinely, taking a page out of Kuon's book of gentleman smiles.

"No! You never take my side! Never! Not once! No matter how much I show you that I love you, you always push me away!" Sho cried out in frustration.

"You don't love me. Not in the right way. If you loved me, would you lie to me for years and exploit me to get what you wanted? Would you have forced me into an unhappy marriage which I never wanted in the first place just because of your selfishness? Would you have done everything in your power to ensure that I never ended up with the man who I truly loved? Sho, you want to possess me, not love me. If you really loved me, you would want me to be happy. You wouldn't have tried to steal away my happiness at every possible moment. Do we really have to go on with this trial anymore? Judging by Kuon's character and Shotaro's tainted criminal record, if we were to go on with this hearing and accuse Kuon of more wrong, I'm afraid the Fairy Kingdom would bear a grudge against the Sky Kingdom for believing in such a man and accusing the king of the Fairy Kingdom, Mother," Kyoko turned, addressing Saena.

"Indeed. This hearing need not continue. Fuwa-san, I am utterly disappointed in you. Look at you today. How could you face your loyal parents if they knew what crimes you had committed? Considering that you're the offspring of a faithful kingdom, I won't punish you for seducing Kyoko with a doll," Saena announced. Sho sighed in relief.

"But for the crime considering Hizuri Kuon, you have to be punished. You're to be banished from the Heavens. You're never to be given a celestial status again, and you will be cursed to have love troubles for all eternity," Saena decreed, motioning for her guards to come forward. Sho crumpled onto the floor and screamed as the guards grabbed him and dragged him away.

Once Sho was gone, Saena spoke to Kyoko. "Kyoko, your wedding with Hizuri Kuon shouldn't be postponed any longer. I'll arrange a day to meet with Takarada Lory and Hizuri Kuu to speak with them about a date to marry Hizuri Kuon into the Sky Palace."

"I accept your decree," Kyoko bowed before turning to leave the throne room, immediately teleporting to the Fairy Kingdom; however a teleportation barrier blocked Kyoko from teleporting inside the palace of the Fairy Kingdom. Instead, Kyoko teleported outside the doors of the Fairy Kingdom and knocked. After a few moments, Yashiro opened the door and stepped out, closing the door behind him.

"Crown Princess, Kuon drank a lot and is sleeping right now. He said that he would not be meeting with anyone," Yashiro said apologetically.

"Let him know that I'll be waiting out here until he's ready to see me," Kyoko murmured dejectedly. Yashiro nodded and went back inside the palace as Kyoko slowly sank to the floor in a kneeling position, wanting to cry. This confirmed that he was indeed angry with her for what had happened. She knew that Kuon would have to eventually come out so that she could explain herself. At least she hoped he would.

…

Kuon poured more of the liquor bottle into his cup and downed the drink. Several empty bottles of alcohol were already strewn about the table, and a freshly emptied liquor bottle was added to the mix. Yashiro slowly opened the door to Kuon's room and bowed.

"Kuon, the Crown Princess has been waiting at the entrance of the palace for seven days. She said she wanted to see you, but I waved her off each time," Yashiro said, looking down guiltily. Kuon set down his drink hard on the table, startling Yashiro.

"I obeyed your order. I didn't let her in. However, it's already been seven days, and Kyoko-chan doesn't show any signs of leaving until you speak with her. What do you want to do about it, Kuon?" Yashiro asked, worried for his friend.

"Tell her not to come to the Fairy Kingdom again. I'll go to Empress Mogami tomorrow to break off the engagement," Kuon waved him off.

"EH? What are you talking about, Kuon? Why would you want to break off the engagement?!"

Now that Kuon had his memories back, he had been forced to reanalyze his entire relationship with Kyoko. 300 years ago, had she only married him because of her heartbreak with Sho? Did she really ever love him? If she did, how deep had her love been for him? Had she only grieved for him due to her guilt of what had happened when he was Ren? If he had not jumped off Korosu Terrace, would she have willingly married Sho? Was she only marrying him now because of her regrets from 300 years ago? Kuon knew he could not face Kyoko because he would not know what to do if she admitted to only caring for him out of guilt. He had fallen in love with her twice, but what if everything they shared had only been a lie this whole time?

"Please leave me alone, Yashiro-san," Kuon ordered in a harsh tone that provided no room for Yashiro to refuse. Yashiro could only nod and exit the room. Kuon wouldn't tell him anything! What had happened?!

…

Yashiro opened the door of the Fairy Kingdom to see Kyoko still kneeling in the same position he had seen her in ever since she had come to the Fairy Kingdom seven days ago. She looked up at him hopefully before realizing that Kuon wasn't behind him.

"Kyoko-chan-"

"He doesn't want to meet with me, does he?"

"It's not that. He's just so drunk. He didn't answer me much. You've already been here seven days, so why don't you come back later? I'll come fetch you when he's sober."

"There's no need. I'll stay here until he wants to meet with me," Kyoko replied.

"Kyoko-chan, what's going on? Why is Kuon suddenly acting like this?" Yashiro asked, hoping that maybe she would tell him when Kuon had ignored his questions.

Kyoko didn't respond, and tears brimmed in her eyes as she remembered all the suffering Ren had went through. Yashiro's heart ached at seeing her sadness. "Kyoko-chan-"

"Yashiro-san, you should get back inside soon. It looks like it's about to rain," Kyoko sniffed, wiping her tears away with her sleeve.

"I'll go bring you an umbrella then!" Yashiro exclaimed.

"There's no need," Kyoko replied in a tone that stopped any arguing.

"Is there anything you need, Kyoko-chan?" Yashiro asked.

"Please just tell Kuon something for me?"

"Please say what you want me to tell him," Yashiro nodded.

"Before I left on my heavenly trial, Kuon told me that he would carry me back to the Fairy Kingdom and make me fall in love with him again if I fell in love with a man in the mortal realm. Can you ask Kuon if Corn the Fairy counts?"

"I will definitely tell him," Yashiro said before going back inside, leaving Kyoko in her kneel as rain started to pour. She stayed in her position, not caring as the rain drenched her robe. The rain could drench her soul for all she cared, if only she could see Kuon.

…

Yashiro went inside to see Kuon still drinking. He bowed, and Kuon's eyes flickered up to him.

"Kuon, Kyoko-chan asked me to tell you something."

Kuon ignored what Yashiro had said, continuing to take a drink. Yashiro continued on anyways.

"She wanted to ask you: when you said that you would carry her back to the Fairy Kingdom and make her fall in love with you again if she fell for another man as a mortal, does Corn the Fairy count?"

Kuon's grip on his cup tightened, and he threw it to the floor in a rage, causing Yashiro to jump back in fear as the cup shattered on the gound. The demon lord's glare was one that could literally kill, and Yashiro didn't like being on the receiving end of that look.

"No! Nothing counts!" Kuon yelled.

"Kuo-"

"Tell her to leave! I never want to see her again!" Kuon ordered.

"Kuon, don't be angry! Please don't be angry-"

"Leave me the hell alone!" Kuon yelled. Yashiro quickly bowed and ran off, too scared to keep prodding the demon lord.

…

Kyoko was glad when the rain finally stopped, although the clouds still hid the sun. She was still in that kneeling position, and even though her knees were now wobbling from staying in the same position for so long, Kyoko was determined to show her resolve. She would not take the easy route out.

"Yo. I heard that you completely screwed up your relationship with Hizuri Kuon."

Kyoko whirled around to see Reino watching her. She frowned and summoned a dagger to throw at him, but he easily dodged it before it could hit its mark straight between his eyes. Reino laughed.

"You know, he's really never going to forgive you for what happened. Who would? I must congratulate you. You've done more damage to him than I ever could," Reino grinned, mockingly clapping. Kyoko looked down in guilt but remained in her kneeling position. Reino attempted to approach her but was met with a barrier she had put around herself.

"After my heavenly trial, my powers increased exponentially. Unless I allow you to, you can't lay a finger on me ever," Kyoko growled.

"Hm? Is that so? Maybe I can't lay a finger on you, but surely you will be killed along with everyone else in the Heavens when I unleash crimson hellfire onto this world."

Kyoko froze and paled as she turned to see Reino grinning at her. "Turns out that I had been designing a magical artifact all those 70,000 years in that prison, and it was pretty easy to complete it once I escaped. It drained quite a bit of my power, but who'll care when everyone's dead?"

"No-"

"However, you see, I would be willing to spare the innocent souls who had no part in this conflict. My offer from earlier still stands. If you marry me and become my queen, I'll spare the whole world. Or if you refuse, I could just annihilate every innocent soul in the Heavens and build up a new empire from scratch. That seems fun as well."

"You're sick."

"Says the girl who gouged out her lover's eyes to "protect him". Listen to yourself! He's never going to forgive you anyways. You have nothing left. Why don't you sacrifice your own life for the greater good by coming with me?" Reino cackled.

"I still have Hana…" Kyoko murmured.

"Ah, the child. I don't like small children running around my palace, but I would make sure she's protected from harm if you come with me. I'll even allow you to occasionally visit her if you want."

"You really have this all thought out, don't you? Since Kuon has given up on me and you have a weapon that can destroy my kingdom, you're using these things to blackmail me."

"Indeed."

Kyoko thought about Reino's proposition and knew that it was her duty as Crown Princess to ensure the safety of the Heavens. If she sacrificed herself and her happiness, then everyone would be safe. Even if she never saw Kuon again…

Kyoko stood up, her knees shaking from the sudden weight of her body after kneeling for so long. She dispelled the barrier around herself. Kyoko tried to fight her tears from falling.

"You swear that you will spare the innocent lives in the Heavens and get rid of that crimson hellfire device if I agree to come with you?"

"I wouldn't back out of my promise. I'm a man of my word. We can even swear the promise in blood," Reino grinned. Kyoko wanted to gag but looked up to see Reino holding his hand out for her. Kyoko looked back at the Fairy Palace and wished that she could have seen Kuon one more time. Kyoko couldn't help the tears that fell down her face as she took Reino's hand and was whisked away to the Ghost Kingdom.

* * *

 **PaulaGaTo-** It wouldn't be Skip Beat! if there wasn't at least one more misunderstanding between our favorite couple, right? Sho finally paid for all of his crimes this chapter, but unfortunately Saena will get by unscathed because she's the Empress. Hope you liked Sho's further punishment this chapter, and thank you for reviewing!

 **H-Nala-** Hana didn't make an appearance yet, but Kuon will surely treat her differently when he next sees her now that he knows she's his biological daughter. Honestly, Saena doesn't care that much about Kuon being Ren as long as it doesn't cause problems in the marriage arrangement between Kuon and Kyoko. Saena's pretty self-serving in that way. And luckily Sho will no longer be a problem :). Thanks for the review!

 **melchormonica8-** If you're referring to Sho, then yes, he is a child just because of his immaturity of handling his relationship with Kyoko. Glad you liked last chapter, and thanks for reviewing!

 **Erza-** I agree with you wholeheartedly. Every time I see a new Skip Beat! chapter, I can't help but groan at the new misunderstanding of the month. We just need some progress already!

On another note, although I can definitely see Kyoko kicking Kuon's ass, in this particular situation, she knows she's in the wrong and that anything she could do would only anger him further. All she can do now is wait for him to come to her. You're completely right that Sho never deserved Kuon's pretty eyes, and I hope you liked the punishment that he got in the end :). Thanks for reviewing!

 **brennakai-** The Ren doll really did prove Sho more guilty. Saena was a bit lenient, but Sho's punishment was still harsh in the end. You're right that Ren has been questioning Kyoko's motives from the start, and even now Kuon is still confused on her motives. But once he figures out the truth, everything will fall into place. And eventually, he will remember the daughter he left behind... Thanks for the review!


	52. Chapter 52

**I'm definitely late in this update. On top of life being generally hectic, I've also been sick for the past few weeks. I'm sorry for making you all wait so long, but here's chapter 52. I can't promise when I'll next update since I'm really overloaded right now, but I definitely promise that this fic will be finished before the end of this year.**

 **I uploaded the wrong version of this chapter earlier. For a lot of this fic, I had a few potential scenarios for how I wanted the story to go since I didn't want to follow the ending of Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms (in which the Crown Prince sacrifices his soul in battle and somehow magically comes back to life afterwards) since I always felt as if it was too much of a deus ex machina moment. The chapter 52 that I had uploaded earlier reflected a chapter which would have led to this ending, but I'm not killing off the MCs. Sorry for those of you who read the wrong version of this chapter earlier.**

* * *

"I already told you before that I don't want to see her ever again, Yashiro-san," Kuon said as Yashiro bowed upon entering his room.

"It's Takarada-san who's asking to see you today."

"Oh... Then send him in..." Kuon replied. Yashiro nodded and left to escort Lory into Kuon's room. When Lory entered his room, he was holding Kuon's real eyes in his palm, and Yashiro left the room to give them privacy in putting back Kuon's eyes. Kuon was compliant in allowing Lory to put back his eyes in their rightful sockets. It hurt much less to put the eyes back in than when they were taken out. In addition, Lory chose to remain silent during his work, which Kuon was all too grateful for.

"I'm done. Are you able to see better now?" Lory asked once he had finished. Kuon opened his eyes and was relieved to see that the world was crystal clear now. He looked out a window and found that his eyes were no longer sensitive to the light.

"Yes," Kuon replied

"Good. It really is a miracle that you were able to remember what had happened to you as a mortal-"

"Is there anything else you need from me, Boss?" Kuon interrupted him, not wanting to hear Lory talk about anything that had happened to him as a mortal.

"You know, the Crown Princess has been waiting outside for a week now. I think it was even about to rain when I arrived, but she made no move to leave her position."

"Good."

"Kuon, I know you're angry at her, but if you would only listen to what I have to say-"

"I'm not interested. Why are all of you on her side? Don't you know what she did?" Kuon said, venom lacing his voice. Suddenly, Yashiro entered the room again and glanced at Kuon before whispering something in Lory's ear. Lory's eyes widened in shock.

"Is it true?" Lory wondered. Yashiro nodded and glanced at Kuon again nervously.

"Should I tell him, Takarada-san?" Yashiro whispered to Lory. Lory nodded and motioned for Yashiro to go ahead.

"Kuon-" Yashiro started.

"Yashiro-san, I've told you countless times that I don't want to see her," Kuon growled.

"But Kuon, if you'll only listen-"

"If you have nothing more to report on, I would appreciate you leaving me alone, Yashiro-san."

"Kuon! Please! Kyoko-chan-"

"She's been kidnapped by King Reino," Lory finished Yashiro's sentence. Kuon was silent for a few moments, his expression unreadable.

"What happened?" Kuon asked, his hand unconsciously curling into a fist at his side.

"Some of the townspeople milling outside the palace saw it happen, although King Reino had cast a sound barrier so that they couldn't hear the conversation between the Crown Princess and King Reino before he kidnapped her."

Dozens of emotions played out on Kuon's face. Anger. Grief. Concern.

"You're sure that it wasn't a trick or illusion?" Kuon asked.

"It was neither," Yashiro clarified.

"Why...why can't I just forget about her? I tried so hard to hate her, but when I hear she's in danger, I instantly feel concerned for her. Even after everything she did, I can't stop my heart from loving her. Why?" Kuon broke down in tears. Truly, this was what he had been struggling with the past few days. He still loved her. He knew he was hurting both of them by keeping her outside, but he was just so lost. He was just so confused. She had loved him all this time, but why had he ever believed otherwise? Were they fated to be together if they kept running into troubles like this? Could they ever truly have a happily ever after together, or were they fated to always have hardships in their relationship?

"You can't control who you fall in love with, Kuon. What matters is what you choose to do about that love. Will you let it go or fight for it till your very last breath?"

"I..." Kuon looked down at his wretched state of dress littered with stains and dirt and quickly morphed into a clean, white robe. He looked over to the blue stone resting forgotten on his bedside table and grabbed it. "I have to rescue her," Kuon resolved. Lory smiled at him.

"Good answer."

…

Kyoko spun around in front of the tall mirror, looking down at the black robes that Reino had forced her to wear and her new hairstyle that had reverted back to her original black color, although the cut wasn't as long as she used to have it. This whole look wasn't her style, but that creep had ordered her to look like this, and she had no choice but to comply.

Kyoko turned to see the two coffins lying at the side of the room and cringed back in disgust. There were only so many things she could put up with, and sleeping in a coffin was not one of them. However, this was her life now, wasn't it? She would have to deal with whatever Reino wanted...but how could she in good conscience be his queen? If only she could just be someone else...

A vague recollection of a spell tickled the back of her mind. Actually, it wasn't a spell, but a curse. The Two Lives' Curse. When cast, the caster could become someone completely different in the day and revert back to themselves after sundown. If Kyoko cast the curse on herself, maybe she could create the perfect character of Reino's queen during the mornings and return to herself at night.

Kyoko took a deep breath and reached into her robes for the water sapphire that Ren had given her as a wedding present. She had given the other half to him when he had given her Princess Rosa in the mortal realm. She wondered what he had done with it. Had he thrown it away once he regained his memories, wanting nothing that reminded him of her?

In Kyoko's other pocket lay Princess Rosa. She remembered her prince from her mortal life. Before Kuon had remembered everything. Did he even know that her love for him had killed her as a mortal? Did he even care anymore?

The two stones meant so much to her. They both represented Kuon and the love that Kyoko and him had shared. She had given up on true love after Shotaro's betrayal, but she had believed in it again after meeting Kuon. She had believed they were meant to be, but it turned out that they were meant to be apart in the end. She was destined to live an unhappy existence on the arm of a cruel, power-hungry king. Maybe this was her repentance for all the problems she had caused in her life to those around her. She didn't deserve to have love.

Kyoko shoved the two stones back into her pocket, wiping off the tears that had accumulated on her cheeks, and brought her hands together. What else could she do now? Kuon had already made it clear he never wanted to see her again, and she had already agreed to Reino's deal. There was nothing else to lose by performing the Two Lives' Curse. Kyoko pressed her hands to her heart and began to recite the words that she vaguely remembered for the curse before Reino burst into the room, ripping her hands away from her heart before she could cast the curse.

"I'm afraid I can't let you cast any kind of curse on yourself, Princess," Reino smirked. Kyoko tried to wrench her hands out of Reino's grasp, but he firmly held on.

"Why?" Kyoko asked.

"Because I enjoy seeing you suffer from that unrequited love of yours almost as much as I like seeing Hizuri Kuon suffer," Reino grinned, and Kyoko spat at his shoes. She yelped in pain as Reino twisted her arm at a painful angle.

"Remember that puppet soldier spell that Manaka-san can use? I have a similar spell, but I can use the puppet spell on people to control their actions. If you won't become my queen willingly yet, then it seems I'll just have to persuade you to play the part," Reino said as he cast a puppet incantation on Kyoko. Kyoko squirmed in Reino's hold as she felt the claws of his power trying to control her mind.

 _Say you love me._ The claws coaxed.

"I-I love you," Kyoko felt herself say. Reino grinned and circled his arms around her.

"Very good," Reino praised her. Kyoko felt as if she was screaming as she tried to fight against Reino's hold of her mind, but her body followed behind Reino as he led her towards the throne room.

…

Kuon knew that a disguise wouldn't get him anywhere. He would just have to break into the Ghost Palace with a little cunningness and brute force. Kuon decided that the best way to get inside without alerting the guards would be to teleport into the bedroom he shared with Setsu and hope that Reino had forgotten to put guards inside...

Kuon clenched his hand around his sword as he teleported inside the bedroom. Kuon immediately went into a defensive stance, but as he looked around, there was nobody inside the bedroom. Kuon cautiously pushed open the door to the hallway to see that it too was empty. Weird...

This was definitely a trick. Reino must have been expecting him. Kuon strode through the empty hallways of the Ghost Palace towards the throne room, keeping on his guard in case anyone decided to surprise attack him.

Eventually, Kuon came to the throne room without any mishaps. Kuon kicked open the doors in front of him and held his sword out as he entered. In front of him, Reino sat smirking on the throne with Kyoko on his lap, although it seemed that Kyoko had gotten a new makeover since Kuon had last seen her. Her present look was more akin to Setsu's than to Kyoko's usual style.

"It's not very nice to interrupt us," Reino smirked as Kyoko sat on his lap, absently running her nails down his cheek. Kuon was shocked at the sight, but he was smart enough to hide his angry expression behind a mask of indifference. Kuon quickly cast an immobilization spell on Reino and took the opportunity to grab Kyoko's hand and bring her to his side. He glared at Reino one last time before trying to drag Kyoko towards the door. However, she wouldn't budge. Kuon put his hand on her cheek to look into her eyes and found them almost lifeless.

"She has no intention to return with you. Truly, I'm surprised that you even came here after regaining your memories. She was so horrible to you in your mortal life, but here you are, putting your life on the line for hers once again. I'm starting to think turning you into a mortal that one time wasn't as much of a punishment as I expected it to be," Reino said. Kuon was silent for a few moments, only now realizing that Reino had been the one that had started everything…

"When I look back on what happened…the innumerable days waiting for her to return…the scheming of Fuwa…thinking that Kyoko didn't love me anymore…my mortal life was not filled by happiness and light. However, I realized that all those experiences were necessary to become who I am now and know just how important Kyoko is to me. It's because of you that I lost my memories and became Ren, giving me the opportunity to meet Kyoko. I would never have let her into my heart if not for that experience. Even though we had a marriage agreement in the end, I would have cancelled it, although Kyoko's determination after realizing my true identity even after I had forgotten myself allowed me to fall for her a second time. Therefore, I'm grateful to you, simply because through _you_ , I was able to meet _her_."

"Grateful? Does that mean you've forgiven her? Even after everything she let happen to you?"

"Every incident that occurs in life is inevitable. There are no coincidences. It was all necessary to make me realize just how deeply I'm in love with Kyoko and how I will fight against whatever you throw at me so that I may have a peaceful future with my wife," Kuon growled. He looked down again at Kyoko's eyes to see if they had changed, but they were still lifelessly staring at him.

"It's too bad she doesn't want to be your wife anymore," Reino smirked.

"What?"

"Kyoko," Reino purred, and she immediately turned her attention to him, shaking off Kuon's grip and returning to Reino's side. Kuon watched her in shock.

"What did you do to her?" Kuon growled, thinking that Reino must have cast some kind of spell on her to make her act this way.

"I didn't do anything. She came here on her own to be my queen," Reino smiled, leaning his head down to kiss Kyoko on the cheek.

"Kyoko..." Kuon said, but Kyoko glared at him.

"After all I did for you, you never cared. You left me twice. You left our daughter all alone without her father. You never trusted me when I told you I loved you, and you even jumped off Korosu Terrace. How could I ever think this was love? It's clear to me now that I was only blinded by attraction. I can't believe I sat outside the Fairy Kingdom for seven days, hoping for you to take me back. It's clear that I don't need you," Kyoko scoffed. Kuon felt a pang go to his heart. Even though he had initially believed that Reino had cast a spell on Kyoko to make her act this way, her words made him reconsider. His worst nightmares were playing out in front of him, and Kuon was struggling to hold onto the belief that Kyoko was under a spell. What if this was truly how she felt about him? Had she fled to Reino's side because of her hatred for Kuon?

"Kyoko, the truth is…when I heard you were waiting outside the Fairy Palace for seven days…my heart had already gone soft. I already knew that the anger that I was holding onto would vanish as soon as I saw you. But I was too stubborn and held onto that anger even though I had already forgiven you a long time ago… You also suffered greatly these past few centuries. You had to raise our daughter all by yourself, and I'm so sorry I left. I'm sorry that I chose to take the easy way out and forgot about you instead of coming to talk to you to resolve our misunderstandings. I'm sorry I was too stubborn to let you inside the Fairy Palace these past seven days. When I was finally ready to face you, I heard from Yashiro-san that you had already left for the Ghost Palace. Kyoko, I know he's probably blackmailing you, but we can get through this another way. I don't want you to sacrifice yourself. Please, Kyoko, I love you," Kuon's voice cracked. Kyoko turned to him, but where he expected a soft expression full of care, Kuon was met with a cold glare.

Kyoko tried to fight against Reino's control over her body. She put all of her strength into keeping her mouth shut since she knew that whatever Reino would force her to say next would break Kuon's heart.

 _"Stop controlling me!"_ Kyoko yelled against the claws on her mind. Kyoko struggled against the claws coaxing her mouth to open and respond. However, in the end, her mouth opened, and she looked at Kuon with a hatred he had never before seen directed to him.

"What we had was not love. It was always painful. I. Don't. Love. You." Kyoko enunciated each word. Kyoko screamed against Reino's control as her body took Reino's face in her hands and kissed him passionately. As Kuon watched his whole world crumble, two guards appeared from behind him and grabbed his arms, shackling them with chains.

Kyoko pulled back from the kiss and gave Kuon a smirk. His body began to shake uncontrollably, and a sob escaped from his lips. Kyoko wanted to cry as a tear slipped down Kuon's cheek.

"Did you ever love me?" Kuon asked, his fragile voice cracking with each word. Kyoko stepped towards him until she was staring right at his emerald eyes.

Kyoko fought with all of her power against the word that Reino was about to force her to say. Suddenly, she broke free from his control, and Reino's eyes widened in shock.

"Kuon, I-" Kyoko began to say before Reino grabbed control again.

"I never loved you," Kyoko hated the words coming from her lips. She could only watch in excruciating pain as Kuon's eyes flooded with tears and the guards dragged him to the dungeons. Only when Kuon was gone did Reino release her from his control.

"No one has ever broken free of my puppet incantation. How could you do that?" Reino wondered. Kyoko glared at him and ran towards the door before she was launched backwards by Reino's magic to land flat on her behind. Reino slowly walked over to her and squatted down to smirk at her.

"Screw you," Kyoko spat.

"Such beautiful anger. I'll let you set his execution date, my queen," Reino caressed her cheek. She immediately slapped him, and he stumbled back.

"I'll never be your queen," Kyoko yelled, and Reino frowned, kicking her to the ground.

"You're going to regret saying that," Reino warned her before standing up and leaving the room, locking the door behind him.

* * *

 **I forgot to respond to comments when I first uploaded this chapter, but here are my responses.**

 **Umiron-** Kyoko made the wrong choice in agreeing to Reino's deal. Now her relationship with Kuon is being tested again, and he's in the dungeons. You'll have to wait and see what other evils Reino has planned for both Kyoko and Kuon... Thank you for reviewing!

 **Erza Tsuruga-** Kuon realized that he was in the wrong, but it was too late since Kyoko already agreed to Reino's deal. And now Kuon thinks that Kyoko never loved him... Regarding Sho, I would agree that he probably deserves a gory punishment, but the Sky Palace is civil, and some would argue that an eternity of emotional suffering is worse than a brief period of physical suffering. Thanks for your review!

 **H-Nala-** Glad you liked Sho's punishment. He deserved it and more. Kuon finally stopped being stubborn, but it was too late since Kyoko agreed to Reino's deal. The Ren doll might be back to a doll, but it served its purpose in proving Sho's guilt. Everyone already agrees that Kuon was unjustly punished as a mortal now that they know of Sho's trickery, so explaining what happened to Kuon as a mortal isn't too necessary anymore. Right now, the immortals just have to deal with the impending danger of Reino... Thanks for reviewing!

 **ktoll9-** Yeah, last chapter had both good and bad news. Kyoko and Kuon seem to have so much trouble in their relationship, but that will just make the end all the more satisfying, right? Thank you for reviewing!

 **melchormonica8-** If you were crying at the end of last chapter, I wonder what your reaction was to this chapter... They do always have misunderstandings, but this time it was due to Reino actively trying to ruin their relationship. Glad you liked last chapter, and thanks for the review!

 **brennakai-** You guessed Lory, and you were right! Although Kuon finally came to his senses, he's been captured and thinks that Kyoko never loved him. But someone _will_ have to interrupt the wedding, and Kuon isn't going to give up so easily. Regarding Kyoko's mother, I do agree with you that Saena shouldn't really be punished harshly. Saena has a lot to deal with as the Heavenly Empress, and sometimes her judgement isn't the best. She thought she was doing the best thing for Kyoko by making sure she wasn't blinded by love, and in some aspects, Kyoko's love for Ren did hurt her. Since Kyoko is the heir, of course Saena has to be harsh on her so that Kyoko won't make the same mistakes that Saena did in her youth. But Sho definitely deserves all the punishment that he got and more. He had no excuse to be such a horrible person and never changed. Thank you for your review.

 **Guest-** I'm guessing this most recent chapter was even more of a surprise than the last. Thanks for reviewing!


	53. Chapter 53

**Ahh, it's been a while! I'm sorry for going on such a long hiatus, but I am still aiming to finish this fic by the end of the year! There's only a few more chapters to go, so thank you for all supporting this fic even though I haven't updated as frequently recently!**

* * *

When Reino locked the door behind him, Kyoko cradled her knees to her chest and tried to stifle the sobs that were threatening to escape. She should have been stronger. She should have been able to fight against Reino's spell and tell Kuon that she loved him. Watching his completely desolate expression when she had said that she never loved him made Kyoko feel like her heart was being ripped out of its chest.

Kyoko reached into her robes to clutch her blue stone. She gazed at the sad blue color and wiped at the tears that had accumulated in her eyes. However, suddenly the stone glowed bright amber, and Kyoko held her breath as she heard a voice.

"Kyoko?" Kuon's voice was soft, sharing her same state of disbelief that the stone was glowing amber.

"Kuon!" Kyoko immediately replied, holding the stone up in amazement.

"I'm so sorry, Kuon! K-King Reino used some sort of spell on me that let him control me! I didn't mean anything that I said! I love you, Kuon, and I'm going to get you out of there no matter what!" Kyoko exclaimed.

"What do you mean?"

"You're in the dungeons, right?" Kyoko asked.

"Did you really think that it would be that easy for them to capture me?"

Kyoko almost had a heart attack as she heard the door in front of her open. She quickly threw the stone into her robes, but when she was able to discern the figure, Kyoko immediately jumped up into his arms and laid her head against his chest, her tears from earlier wetting the front of his robes. Kuon buried his cheek in her hair and held her close.

"Kuon...how did you get out? I thought they had put chains on you that restricted your magic?" Kyoko wondered.

"One of the first lessons that Rick taught us was that you can't rely on your magic. Sometimes all you need is a bit of brute strength," Kuon smirked.

"Why did you come here? I thought you wanted nothing to do with me anymore…"

"I realized that there was no way I could ever lie to myself and say that I wasn't in love with you. Even though I'm going to need some time to process everything, I knew that no matter what, I couldn't lose you."

Kyoko nodded as her eyes teared up, and she cuddled into Kuon's chest as her grip around his neck tightened.

"Kuon, can we ever go back to the past? Can we go back to those days where we lived together in that hut, having no other care in the world except for the love we shared for each other?" Kyoko asked.

"No, we can't. It's not possible," Kuon responded, and Kyoko sniffed as tears ran down her face. Of course they couldn't go back to the past. Why had she even believed for a second that it was possible?

"But maybe we could make a fresh start."

Kyoko raised her head to see Kuon smiling down at her, and her breath hitched as a smile spread across her own face. Kuon leaned down and pressed his lips to her own in a reconciliatory kiss. Kyoko melted in his arms and eagerly reciprocated the kiss. She pressed herself into Kuon's chest and hugged his neck tightly, never wanting to let go. Whatever happened in the future, she knew they would be able to take it on together. As long as they had each other, they could face anything.

"I'm so happy that you came back to me. If I didn't have Hana, I'm not sure I would have made it through those 300 years without you."

"I didn't even think about what you went through, but I'm here now, Kyoko," Kuon rubbed her back soothingly, kissing her again.

"Let's get out of here before Reino finds out that I knocked out his guards," Kuon urged after he pulled away from the kiss, but Kyoko stayed in place.

"I can't. Reino has some sort of device that can wipe out all the immortals in the Heavens. If we leave together, what if he activates it? I need to stay here and find out where he keeps the device so that I can destroy it," Kyoko said.

"I can't just leave you here with him..."

"It won't be for long, just until I destroy the device. Besides, now we have a way to communicate over a large distance. Once I find the device, I'll let you know so that you can gather an army to fend off Reino's remaining forces as I destroy the device," Kyoko smiled, holding up the stone in her hand.

"After this is all over, I'm not leaving your side for at least a million years," Kuon grumbled. Kyoko smiled and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. Kuon pulled away from her and took a reluctant step away from her.

"Just give me the word, and I'll send an army to save you from him if he tries anything," Kuon said. Kyoko nodded with a laugh, and Kuon took one last glance at her before hurrying out of the doors. After a few seconds, Kyoko heard some shouting outside, but the shouts were quickly silenced. She knew Kuon would get out fine.

She was now undercover in the Ghost Kingdom yet again, but this time she wouldn't fail. She wouldn't let Reino win. Now she had a strong motivation to defeat him. Once Reino was defeated, Kyoko could finally be together with Kuon again.

...

"You look horrible," Lory remarked.

Kuon smirked at Lory, looking down at his own white robes which were drenched with blood. "Really? I thought that blood-soaked robes were all the rage recently."

"I'm guessing everything went well if you're being this cheeky. But where's Mogami-kun?" Lory wondered. Kuon's face fell and he unconsciously gripped the blue stone hanging around his neck.

"She wanted to stay. Apparently Reino built some kind of doomsday device, and Kyoko wants to find it and destroy it. She told me that she would let me know after she destroyed the device so that I could bring the imperial army to storm the Ghost Kingdom and take out Reino once and for all."

"So are you just going to sit around here waiting for her to give you a signal?" Lory wondered.

"Of course not. There's lots of things I can do instead of just sitting around," Kuon replied.

"Do you know Princess Hana visited while you were gone?"

Kuon's eyes softened. Hana. His daughter. There were so many things he needed to make up to her. "I'll visit her right away," Kuon said, teleporting himself to the Sky Palace before Lory could respond. Lory shook his head with a smile. Things seemed like they were finally looking up for his favorite couple.

…

Hana was playing with her dolls in her room when Kuon teleported in. She was a bit startled by his sudden appearance and dropped the Ren doll that had been in her hand.

"Father?"

Kuon immediately swept her into a hug, spinning her around in sheer happiness as he chuckled softly. "Hana, I remember everything."

"Y-You do? Father!" Hana smiled widely, squeezing him in a hug of her own.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you while you were growing up, Hana."

"I'm just happy that Father is here now," Hana smiled.

"I love you, Hana," Kuon placed a kiss on her hair as he set her down.

"Where's Mother?" Hana wondered, looking behind Kuon as if she was waiting for Kyoko to appear. Kuon tried to think of how to best explain the situation to her.

"Is Mother all right? No one will tell me where she is, and I'm scared. Something is also wrong with the guards," Hana whimpered. Kuon knew that his daughter was very observant, and this was the first he had heard of something being off with the people around her.

"How would you like to come to the Fairy Kingdom with me?" Kuon asked, wanting her as close as possible so that he could protect her. Hana smiled a wide grin.

"I would love to, Father!" Hana giggled.

...

Saena was having a headache. Her advisors had just informed her that Kyoko was in the Ghost Kingdom, whether by choice or by force. Apparently there were rumors of some kind of doomsday device that Reino had been working on, so Saena also had to worry about the implications of that. Thus, when Saena learned of Kuon's abduction of Hana from the Sky Palace, she was at the end of her limit.

Saena teleported to the Fairy Kingdom herself, and she was immediately ushered in when Yashiro saw her. He brought her to the palace garden where Saena came upon the sight of Kuon piggybacking a giggling Hana around the garden.

"The fairy princess raced from flower to flower, tapping each one with her magic wand to make them bloom," Kuon narrated, zooming Hana around the garden. He bent down to let her touch a flower with her make-believe wand, subtly flicking his hand to make the flower open. Hana giggled and pressed her wand to another flower which Kuon made bloom as well.

"Hizuri-san," Saena interrupted them. Kuon stopped in his tracks with Hana still on his shoulders. He set Hana down on the ground and formally bowed to Saena.

"Heavenly Empress," Kuon greeted her. Next to him, Hana also bowed.

"I've come to bring Princess Hana back to the palace," Saena said. Hana whimpered and hid herself behind Kuon.

"I don't want to go back! It's so lonely without mother, and the new guards are too weird!" Hana whined.

"What's wrong with your guards?" Saena wondered.

"They always whisper together and into some sort of mirror that they keep hidden whenever they think I'm not looking! It's so creepy!"

"I will investigate this matter, but for now you are going to return to the Sky Palace with me," Saena said. Kuon leaned down to whisper something in Hana's ear, and she ran out of the garden.

"Empress Mogami, I'm sure you've heard by now that I have regained the memories from my mortal life as Ren," Kuon stepped forward. Saena raised an eyebrow, wondering what he was trying to get at.

"I suffered many grievances when I lived in the Sky Palace as a mortal, and I don't believe that the Sky Kingdom has fully repaid me yet for everything that happened. Surely, if you were in my position, you would not want your daughter to live in the Sky Palace against her will, especially after all of the suffering that you yourself experienced there."

"I'm sorry, Hizuri-san, but we have regulations-"

"Screw the regulations! Hana is my daughter, but I didn't even get to be with her when she grew up! I intend to make up for the time I didn't get with her. I will ensure that Hana feels loved as long as I live, unlike your own daughter."

Saena widened her eyes in shock at Kuon's accusation. "Y-You! How dare you speak to me like this!"

"Forgive me for speaking the truth, Empress Mogami. Even though your daughter might not like to talk too much about her relationship with you, I have no qualms about doing so, especially when I see the pain in her expression whenever she hears your name. Do you even know where she is right now?"

"She's been kidnapped to the Ghost Kingdom," Saena scoffed.

"Wrong. She went willingly. King Reino has a doomsday device that she is trying to destroy, no matter what it takes. She's willing to sacrifice herself for the kingdom. I find it sad that you can't see how amazing your daughter is."

Saena widened her eyes in shock. She had believed that Kyoko's main priority these past few thousand years was love, but it seemed that she had been wrong. Even though Kyoko now had Kuon, she had still chosen to risk herself for her kingdom.

"Empress Mogami, have you ever stopped to think one second about your daughter's feelings? When I jumped off Korosu Terrace, did you console her? Did you feel regret that you had been the cause of her suffering?"

"Of course I regretted it, but I knew it was for the best. Kyoko was quick to return to normal after some initial lashing outs."

"Maybe that's just what she wanted you to think. She had just lost her husband, was now a single mother of an infant, and was forced to be married to the scum who had her husband killed. Do you really think that she just 'got over it'?"

Saena's mouth remained shut. She couldn't refute anything that Kuon said. She knew she had never been a good mother to Kyoko, but she hadn't even treated Kyoko with any decency, likening her to a servant who would do anything that Saena told her without complaint. Saena has taken her for granted.

"You don't know what it's like to be a parent," Kuon sneered at her. Saena bowed her head.

"I don't. I've never acted like a mother to Kyoko," Saena admitted, causing whatever else Kuon was about to say to die on his lips at her acceptance of her faults.

"I will never be able to be the mother that Kyoko needs me to be. But she has you and Hana to make up for what I cannot give her. I...I won't take Hana away," Saena said, teleporting out of the Fairy Kingdom before Kuon could respond.

Kuon took deep breaths, trying to quell his anger. It seemed that Saena wasn't as heartless as he thought. She still had some compassion, although it would never be enough for her to act motherly to Kyoko.

But Kuon would make up for the lack of love that Kyoko received from her mother. Kyoko had been the only one who could ever help him escape that darkness he faced daily due to Rick's death. He had never truly healed from it until he met her. Since those around Kyoko before had failed, Kuon would make sure that he made Kyoko always feel loved. If was only fair since she had helped him so much. Once this whole war was over, Kuon was looking forward to a peaceful family life with his true love.

* * *

 **H-Nala** \- Appropriate words for the cliffhanger I left last chapter! Hope this chapter was a satisfying resolution to that cliffhanger! Thank you for the review!

 **JeremyVD-** Who better than Kyoko herself to tell Kuon of everything that happened? Although she didn't have the time to explain everything, they're off to a start. As for Reino, he'll definitely face retribution for his actions, and the final showdown is drawing closer and closer. Thanks for the review!

 **paulagato-** Even though Kyoko and Kuon won't be able to see each other face to face for a while, you were close in guessing that she would find a way to communicate with him under Reino's nose! Reino will be punished for all his actions soon... Thank you for reviewing!


	54. Chapter 54

"Why do _I_ have to watch you?!" Murasame grumbled the first time he had been assigned as Kyoko's guard.

"Are you still mad about the Heel siblings?" Kyoko smirked, channeling her inner Setsu.

"Do you know how disgusted you two made me?! And in the end all that disgust was for nothing! You're not even siblings! Why the hell didn't you two just disguise yourselves as husband and wife?!"

"It was funnier this way," Kyoko smirked, trying to annoy Murasame. Murasame sighed.

"Sometimes I wish I could go back to the days before we started this whole Reino resurrection thing," Murasame said under his breath, but Kyoko was able to catch it.

"Why? Did we really annoy you that much?" Kyoko wondered. Murasame shook his head and cast a sound barrier around them before speaking.

"Although I wish I had never met the Heel siblings, that's not the reason why I wish we could return to the past. Before, Manaka-chan, Konoe-san, and I were the only people in this palace. Everyone did our bidding. But then Vie Ghoul treated me and Manaka-chan like idiots even after _we_ were the ones to rescue them. They didn't even tell us that you were the Crown Princess until after their plan had already been executed! Now Konoe's dead, and King Reino treats me like a lowly servant."

"What? Konoe-san is dead?" Kyoko widened her eyes in shock.

"King Reino found out that Konoe was the one to try to stop his resurrection. King Reino's a sadistic bastard. He made sure Konoe paid for his treachery before killing him. Manaka-chan and I should have listened to Konoe when he told us that bringing back King Reino would only end badly for the Ghost Kingdom. Then none of this would have happened," Murasame hung his head.

"Konoe-san didn't deserve such a fate," Kyoko frowned.

"Yeah, he didn't," Murasame replied gruffly. Kyoko had no idea how close Murasame and Konoe had been, but they must have known each other for long. Losing a friend, even if he had been on the opposing side, had to hurt.

"You don't like King Reino, do you?" Kyoko wondered.

"That's an understatement," Murasame snorted.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"At least I'll have been honest to one person about this whole situation instead of having to put up this obnoxious act in front of everyone else. I can't even talk to Manaka-chan about this since there's that slight chance her loyalty to King Reino will win over her friendship with me, and she'll tell him everything."

Kyoko tried to detect any bit of dishonesty from Murasame, but she didn't think he was lying. Kyoko knew from experience that Murasame was bad at hiding his hatred and anger towards others, if his attitude towards Cain was anything to go off of. Though at least now Murasame was directing his hatred towards Reino. She straightened up, trying to don the confidence of the Crown Princess.

"Murasame-san, what if I could return things to how they were in the past? Or at least similar to how they were in the past..."

"What do you mean?"

"Help me overthrow King Reino."

"Why should I help you?"

"As Crown Princess, I promise you sanction to resume being ruler of the Ghost Kingdom after King Reino is gone. All past grievances pardoned."

"You're a prisoner here. Even if King Reino's not blocking your powers with a magical cuff, you and I both know that he's blackmailing you with that doomsday device. And believe me when I say that he will have zero remorse in obliterating the entire world. You'll have to destroy that thing first before you think of laying a hand on King Reino."

"Do you know what the doomsday device is?"

"No. Only Vie Ghoul and King Reino know what it is. But I heard that it's hidden somewhere in the palace. I'll try to see what else I can learn about it."

"So does that mean you're taking my offer?"

"I'll help you, but I have a few more conditions."

"What other conditions?"

"One: we're bringing down Vie Ghoul too. Especially that bastard Miroku."

"Of course."

"Two: I never want to see the Heel siblings again. Crown Princess Mogami and Fairy King Hizuri are fine, but I don't want to see those incestuous siblings again."

Kyoko's inner Setsu found it a shame that she wouldn't be able to push Murasame's buttons anymore, but it was for the greater good. "Fine," Kyoko pouted.

"Three: You extend that sanction to Manaka-chan, granted that I can find out whether she's loyal to Reino or not."

"Done," Kyoko smiled.

"That's all the conditions I have."

"Then I look forward to working with you Emmental Cheese-I mean-Murasame-san," Kyoko held out her hand, accidentally using Setsu's nickname for Murasame. Murasame narrowed his eyes at her slip but shook her hand regardless.

...

Every day afterwards, Kyoko explored the Ghost Palace, looking for the rumored doomsday device that Reino was building. She knew that he wouldn't have such a thing lying out in plain sight. However, Kyoko needed to be careful to appear inconspicuous. Reino could not find out her plan. Luckily, Murasame was her assigned guard from thereon out, and he turned a blind eye as she explored the palace.

Kyoko quickly figured out Reino's daily schedule, allowing her to slip out of his room for a few hours at a time without him being all the wiser. She assumed that he was probably checking on that device whenever he was gone, but she had never been able to follow him directly for risk of getting caught. But Kyoko was quickly growing impatient. It had now been over two weeks of her living in the Ghost Palace, and there were only so many nights she could sleep in a coffin before she started having nightmares of waking up to find herself buried alive in the wooden tomb.

Kyoko's only saving grace were the short talks she had with Kuon over their stones after setting a sound barrier. Every day that she felt depressed after not discovering anything about the doomsday device yet again, he would always cheer her up. He told her about standing up to her mother, causing her to laugh as she imagined the look on her mother's face when Kuon refused her orders. He gave her updates on Hana, sometimes even letting her daughter talk directly to Kyoko through the stone. Whenever she heard her daughter's voice, Kyoko's resolve to find the doomsday device was strengthened. She wanted to see Hana and Kuon again.

Today, Kyoko wandered outside to the gardens. The gardens were eerily quiet. Unlike the flourishing and vibrant garden in the Fairy Kingdom, this garden was dull and unkept, filled with weeds and dead flowers. Kyoko initially believed that few people ever came to the garden before she noticed that the gravel pathway was recently disturbed. Kyoko quickly cast a sound bubble around herself to mask her footsteps as she followed the garden path.

After passing a thicket of dead roses, Kyoko came upon a small clearing. In the center of the clearing, there was a small pond, filled with mud. However, in the center of the pond was one singular lotus.

As she gazed at the lotus pond, Kyoko was reminded of the story of her birth. Her mother had become pregnant with her after touching a golden lotus at Goraku Mountain. Keeping this in mind, Kyoko thought that it would be better if she left the lotus in front of her alone. But why did Reino have such a lotus in his pond? It was a lotus in a mire...

That phrase struck a chord in Kyoko's memory. There was a famous legend called Lotus in the Mire. It was a tragic love story where one of the disciples of the previous god of war, High God Shizuma, had fallen in love with him. This disciple, Momiji, was a brilliant fighter and was renowned for her double sword fighting style. It was said that one swipe of her sword could bring down an entire village. Kyoko has always admired Momiji's fighting style and had modeled her own style off of Momiji's.

However, the god of war didn't see Momiji in the same way, and he instead fell in love with the Crown Princess, Chidori, who he ended up saving at one point. When they were married, Momiji went on a rampage, destroying entire villages in her anger. The only way that Shizuma and Chidori were able to stop her was to turn her into a lotus. They placed the lotus in the middle of a mire, never to be seen again. But that was only a legend, and even if it was true and this lotus held the soul of Momiji, why would Reino have the lotus?

Kyoko tapped her finger to her chin as she tried to think. What would happen if Momiji was resurrected from the lotus? Would she go on a rampage looking for Shizuma again? With her fighting prowess, if Momiji went on a rampage and destroyed anything in her path to find Shizuma, it could very well mean the destruction of the world. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Kyoko's face paled as she realized that _this_ was the doomsday device that Reino has been talking about. He was trying to resurrect Momiji! Kyoko had thought about destroying whatever doomsday device Reino had built before, but now she hesitated. Momiji's soul was in this lotus. She would be killing Momiji if she destroyed the lotus.

Kyoko needed another plan. She took the blue stone out of her robes and let out a sigh of relief as it started glowing amber.

"Kuon, I found Reino's doomsday device," Kyoko immediately said.

" _You did? Did you destroy it?_ "

"I can't. Have you ever heard of the Lotus in the Mire?"

" _That tragic love story where Momiji turns into a lotus?_ "

"Yes. I think Reino has the lotus that Momiji turned into. If she was resurrected and didn't find Shizuma..."

" _She would go on a rampage like in the legend. Who knows what she could do..._ "

"I don't know what to do, Kuon. I can't just destroy the lotus. Her soul is inside."

" _You have to. The fate of the world as we know it depends on you._ "

"Kuon, she doesn't deserve to die."

" _All of us have to make sacrifices. If Momiji's death can spare the countless deaths that could occur if she is resurrected, then you need to destroy the lotus_."

Kyoko looked at the lotus and frowned. Kuon was right. This was for the greater good. Kyoko had to destroy Momiji.

"Reino must have some sort of protection spell on the lotus. He wouldn't just leave it out in the open for anyone to destroy."

" _You have to be careful then. You don't want him to know that you're aware of the lotus, but you have to figure out how to destroy that protection spell._ "

Suddenly, an idea popped into Kyoko's head. She grinned, ready to give Reino a taste of his own medicine.

"Kuon, do you know where I can find some Yowamaru Potion?"

" _You mean the weakening potion that Vie Ghoul used on you as Setsu?_ "

"Yes."

" _I don't know of any in existence except for the store that Reino has._ "

"Maybe Murasame-san can help me with that then."

" _Are you sure you can trust him?_ "

"You and I both know that Murasame-san isn't the best at keeping his emotions in check. Especially his hatred. He definitely hates King Reino. I have trust in his hate."

" _I just hope he doesn't double-cross us_ ," Kuon sighed.

"It's just a risk we'll have to take."

...

"And done!" Kyoko smiled as she put the finishing touches on a batch of chocolates she had made in the palace kitchen. They were laced with the Yowamaru potion that Murasame had managed to steal for her, but the sweet taste of the chocolate covered up the potion's taste. Kyoko had planned this out accordingly so that Reino would find her gone from their room when he usually returned to their room and come looking for her.

"Who did you make those for?"

Right on cue, Reino strolled into the kitchen, giving her a smirk that she wanted to slap off his face. Kyoko let her displeasure show on her face and hid the chocolates behind her back.

"None of your business."

"Oh? Were you planning on finding a way to send them to your beloved Hizuri Kuon? Did you really think I wouldn't find out?" Reino grinned, approaching her little by little. Kyoko backed away until she hit the wall behind her. He grabbed the bag of chocolates from her hands.

"Even if he did manage to escape, he's heartbroken after you told him you never loved him. I enjoy watching him suffer, so I can't let you send these chocolates filled with your love to him. But..." Reino trailed off as he undid the string tying the bag of chocolates together.

"I would be happy to have a taste of your love, my queen," Reino smirked, popping one of the chocolates into his mouth. Kyoko did her best to prevent the smile that threatened to break out on her face. As Reino reached into the bag for another chocolate, Kyoko made an attempt to grab the bag from him, but Reino quickly moved it out of her reach.

"Give them back!" Kyoko growled as Reino ate another one. He threw her off him, and she landed on the ground with a thud.

"Such anger... you're most beautiful when you're angry like this," Reino caressed her cheek.

"You'll regret this one day, Beagle! Kuon will come back for me, and we'll defeat you!"

"He's never coming back for you, don't you understand? No one's going to rescue you. According to my spies, most of the gods in the Heavens believe that you voluntarily joined me, and they're right. Even with your powers, you can't stop me. I've already won, and it's only a matter of time before I take over the Heavens," Reino smirked, eating the last chocolate out the bag and leaving Kyoko on the ground of the kitchen.

Kyoko brought her knees to her chest and waited for a few minutes. When she was sure that Reino was gone, she put on her best face of misery and walked through the palace to the bedroom that she had shared with Kuon when they were Cain and Setsu. There, she cast a sound barrier and brought the blue stone out of her robes.

"He took the bait," Kyoko said into the stone, her frown morphing into an eager smile.

" _I knew you could do it,_ " Kyoko could hear the smile in Kuon's voice.

"It's fortunate that Murasame-san knew exactly where to find the Yowamaru potion. Reino didn't suspect anything."

" _I'm glad it worked. I can't wait to see you again, Kyoko._ "

"Tomorrow we'll put an end to this once and for all," Kyoko smiled.

...

The next morning, Kyoko hopped out of her coffin without making a sound and sprinted to the garden. As she ran past the dead flowers, she pulled out her blue stone which was already glowing amber.

"Kuon? Are you there?" She asked into the stone.

" _Have you destroyed the lotus already?_ "

"I'm about to destroy it. What should I do afterwards?"

" _Cain and Setsu's bedroom_ ," Kuon responded curtly before the stone returned to its original blue color. Kyoko put her stone away right as she reached the lotus pond. She immediately shot out a hand towards the lotus in the mire and cast a spell that caught the lotus on fire. Kyoko tried to ignore the guilt in her heart at destroying Momiji before she heard a loud yell from the palace itself. Reino must have woken up. She needed to get out of here quickly. Kyoko ran through the garden to get back into the palace but stopped as she heard a yell from the hallway on her right.

"LOOK IN THE GARDEN!" Reino's voice bellowed.

Kyoko ran straight towards Cain and Setsu's bedroom, just managing to evade the guards that were sent into the garden. She didn't look back. She just kept running. Of course, it wasn't easy. On the way, she ran into a pack of guards that she had to quickly subdue so that they wouldn't give away her position. Kyoko ran down the hallway where Cain and Setsu's bedroom was, throwing open the door before quickly shutting it behind her. She tried to catch her breath as her eyes tried to adjust to the dimly lit room.

"Kyoko."

That deep voice made Kyoko smile. Her eyes adjusted to the dark to see Kuon smiling at her, his emerald eyes gleaming in the dark. Kyoko ran up to him and enveloped him in her arms.

"Kuon," Kyoko breathed into his shoulder.

"Let's get out of here," Kuon rubbed her back.

"How did you get in again?"

"Apparently the palace was too distracted trying to find you that no one noticed when I flew in through the balcony."

"Flew in?"

"Come on, we have to hurry. We don't have much time before they find us," Kuon urged her, opening the door to the bedroom. Unfortunately, at the end of the hallway, a fuming Reino with Vie Ghoul and his guards saw them as they ran out of the room.

"Seize them!" Reino ordered. Kuon wrapped his arm around Kyoko's waist and drew his sword, raising it high into the air and causing a shockwave that threw every single soldier in the hallway to the ground. Kuon grabbed Kyoko's hand and ran while the whole group of soldiers was down, although there were more soldiers in the hallway in front of them. Kyoko materialized a sword in her own hand and cast a column of wind forward to knock the soldiers out of the way. The two ran past the downed soldiers, fighting through any guards that blocked their path.

"Where are we going? King Reino's men must have already set a teleportation barrier around the whole palace! We have no way to escape!" Kyoko exclaimed as she knocked down another group of soldiers with a spell.

"There. The balcony," Kuon motioned to a group of double doors leading out to a balcony. Kuon pushed open the doors and ran to the handrail with Kyoko. Kyoko looked down to see that the palace was situated on top of an imposing cliff that descended into jagged bits of rock jutting out from the darkness of the valley below, separating the Ghost Kingdom from the neighboring Water Kingdom. They were trapped.

"Wh-What are we going to do now?" Kyoko asked as Kuon surveyed the edge of the balcony. She looked behind them to see that Vie Ghoul had given chase and was gaining on them.

"Hold on tight," Kuon said as he picked her up princess-style. Kyoko automatically wrapped her arms around his neck as he climbed onto the banister. Her eyes bugged out at the looming cliff below them.

"W-Wait! You can't! We won't survive the fall!"

"Who said anything about falling?" Kuon smirked, jumping off the banister. Kyoko screamed and closed her eyes tightly as she clenched her arms around Kuon's neck. However, instead of falling and splattering on the bottom of the cliff like she expected, Kyoko slowly opened her eyes to see that they were floating in the sky. Kyoko looked up at Kuon to see that two magnificent wings had sprouted from his back.

"I know that those born in the Sky Kingdom can become dragons, but in the Fairy Kingdom, we can transform into fairies. It's not the most efficient mode of transport when we can teleport, but the wings come in handy at times like these," Kuon smirked at her. Kyoko laughed in relief at not plummeting to her doom.

"The wings do make you a bit more handsome," Kyoko teased. Kuon smiled at her, but Kyoko's eyes widened as she looked behind Kuon to see Reino's soldiers stringing bows with arrows and pointing the arrows directly towards them. Kyoko immediately shot out a hand to cast a protective shield behind Kuon, only moments before an arrow hit the invisible forcefield. Kyoko smirked at the archers whose arrows did absolutely no damage to her forcefield.

"Are we out of danger yet?" Kuon wondered. Kyoko nodded and looked up to see Kuon looking down at her. Their eyes locked, and Kyoko couldn't help but laugh in relief. However, her smile fell as she saw a ball of black magic begin to materialize in Reino's hand.

"You should have known that I had an antidote to Yowamaru potion!" Reino called out before throwing the dark magic towards them. As it hit Kyoko's shield, she couldn't withstand the brute force behind the magic, and the barrier shattered.

"Kuon, watch out!" Kyoko screamed as Reino cast another wave of dark magic towards them. Kuon didn't have enough time to dodge Reino's magic, and he cried out in pain as the dark magic hit him. The pain was worse than anything he had ever felt before, and the darkness seemed to congregate around him, blocking out any light. His wings locked up, and Kyoko held him tightly as they fell out of the sky, plummeting towards the ground.

* * *

 **It took me a very long time to figure out what to make Reino's doomsday device, but I'm happy with my decision since I didn't make any explicit reference to Momiji yet in this fic. I also really enjoyed bringing back Emmental Cheese Murasame :).**

 **We're getting close to the end! Only one more chapter and then the epilogue... Right now, this fic is my main priority, and until it's done, I won't be updating any of my other fics.**

 **Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter!**

 **brennakai-** Someone had to put her in her place eventually, and Kuon is tired of her interference in his relationship with Kyoko. I have a feeling that Kuon in canon wouldn't be too kind with her either if he met her in person, knowing just how she treated Kyoko. But Saena herself isn't inherently bad. She's just made some bad decisions and wasn't exactly fit to be a loving mother. But she can at least make concessions like you said :). Thanks for the review!

 **Paulagato-** I'm glad you liked last chapter! I don't like to end fics with a bad ending, so your wishes have a very likely chance of happening... Thanks for reviewing!

 **H-Nala-** Corn to the rescue both last chapter and this chapter :). Thanks for reviewing!


	55. Chapter 55

Kuon could feel that he was falling, and the darkness around him was suffocating him. He couldn't see anything through it. He had been in a situation like this before when he had jumped off Korosu Terrace. When he had felt so utterly destitute that the cold emptiness of the fall couldn't compare to the frozen hollowness of his own heart.

But unlike back then, Kuon wasn't feeling despair right now. He could feel a warm pair of arms around his neck and realized that he was holding onto someone. His eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he saw Kyoko clutching him as if this was the end, her eyes closed tightly in anticipation of impact.

Although they were coming closer and closer to splattering on the ground, Kuon knew that this was not where they perished. They had fought through so much to be together again, and this was not where it all ended. Kuon wouldn't let it end here.

Fighting against the pain rippling through his body, Kuon spread his wings, catching a breeze and soaring out of the canyon towards the neighboring Water Kingdom. He looked down to see Kyoko's eyes flutter open.

"Hey! Over here!"

Kyoko turned her head towards the voice to see Hikaru waving them over from the other side of the canyon where a gathering of soldiers was waiting for them. Kuon struggled to keep his wings out but managed to fly them over to the Water Kingdom, landing on the ground with a thud. A group of medics quickly gathered around them as Kyoko herself let go of his neck and tried to see if he was okay. Kuon screamed as the darkness penetrated him again, his adrenaline from earlier gone.

"What did he get hit with?" Kuon heard someone ask.

"Some kind of dark magic. I've never seen anything like it," Kyoko responded. Kuon cried out in pain again.

"Leave him to me."

Kyoko raised her head to see that it was Lory who had spoken. "Crown Princess, I promise I'll take care of him. You should get ready. Something tells me that King Reino isn't going down without a fight."

Kyoko hesitatingly nodded, pressing a kiss to Kuon's forehead before standing up. Lory quickly took her place and set to work on trying to soothe Kuon's pain. Kyoko looked around at who had gathered around them and noticed many familiar faces. For one, Hikaru was watching the couple with a gentle smile next to his two brothers, each decked out in armor. Momose and Kijima were also there, wearing their own armor and ready to fight at any moment. Each of Rick's disciples were gathered around them, even Koga who didn't particularly like Kuon.

"Kyoko."

Kyoko straightened up as she heard the cold and strict voice of her mother. The Heavenly Empress herself was there, although she wasn't wearing any armor. Saena wasn't a fighter. She had probably only come to oversee the war preparations.

"Goraku Mountain's disciples will be leading the attack on any ground soldiers that Reino brings to the fight and will be keeping Vie Ghoul at bay. We assume that Reino will try to go for you and Hizuri-san if he comes onto the battlefield, so our soldiers will keep the others away when you battle Reino. Once you suit up, I will give the command to commence our assault on the Ghost Kingdom," Saena said.

"We're going to war right now?!"

"We must strike as soon as possible before Reino has the time to come up with another plan. Hizuri-san mentioned that Murasame-san and Manaka-san were to be spared?" Saena wondered.

"Yes. Murasame-san helped me destroy the doomsday device."

"Very well. Go gear up."

"Yes, Mother," Kyoko bowed.

"And Kyoko?"

"Yes?"

"You successfully destroyed Reino's doomsday device. Good job."

Kyoko's jaw dropped at her mother's simple praise as Saena teleported back to the Sky Palace. The soldiers around her were equally shocked since no one had ever heard Saena praise anyone, not even her own daughter.

Kyoko shook off her awe and looked over to see how Kuon was doing. It seemed that Lory had managed to put him to sleep.

"Are you sure he'll be okay?" Kyoko asked.

"Don't worry, Crown Princess. Reino cast some kind of torture spell on Kuon, but I was able to remove it. Once he wakes up, he'll be fine," Lory assured her. Taking one last worried glance at Kuon, Kyoko entered the nearest tent to suit up.

...

The Imperial Army marched towards the boundary between the Ghost Kingdom and the Water Kingdom as Kyoko rode on a horse at the front of the troops. She could see the Ghost army on the horizon with Reino at the front.

"You ruined everything! I spent tens of thousands of years on my plan just for it to be destroyed by those chocolates! You won't leave this battlefield alive, Kyoko!" Reino's voice carried across the distance between the two armies. Kyoko dismounted from her horse and unsheathed her double swords. From across the chasm, everyone watched as Reino unsheathed a halberd. He raised his weapon, and his army started to charge forward as the celestial army did the same.

Kyoko ran forward to meet with Reino in a clash of weapons. Reino pushed off her swords and thrusted his halberd forward at Kyoko, causing her to take a step back to prevent from being stabbed. She slashed at Reino, but Reino skillfully blocked her sword with the handle of his halberd and pushed her off. As Kyoko came charging forward to attack again, Reino swiped at her feet, but a graceful flip prevented her feet from being struck. She swung ferociously at him with her swords, and Reino was having trouble blocking each swing. With each block came another attack from her other sword, and soon Kyoko landed a slice on his chest. Reino raised his halberd into the sky, and bolts of lightning gathered around its tip as he charged a spell towards Kyoko. However, as he cast the lightning towards her, Kyoko performed a spell on her own sword, blocking the beam of magic from hitting her. Kyoko raised her other sword and added even more power to the spell. Kyoko's magic began to overpower Reino's, and soon, the ball of magic hit him in the chest. Reino cried out as he fell backwards, the magic overwhelming him. Kyoko charged forward to attack again, but Reino was quick to block, rage blazing in his eyes. He wouldn't go down that easily.

...

Kuon woke up suddenly, his brow soaked in sweat. He looked around his surroundings trying to figure out where he was. Was this a tent?

"You're awake. That was some real nasty magic that Reino cast on you."

"Where are we?" Kuon rubbed his back, feeling a dull ache.

"We're in a military camp at the border between the Ghost Kingdom and Water Kingdom," Lory responded.

"Where's Kyoko?"

"Fighting Reino," Lory replied nonchalantly.

"What?! Why didn't you wake me up before she left?!" Kuon stood up suddenly, materializing a sword in his hand.

"You were hit pretty badly by some of Reino's dark magic. Are you sure you're ready to fight right now?"

"I'm not letting her face him alone," Kuon replied before running out of the tent.

...

Kyoko gritted her teeth as she blocked yet another one of Reino's attacks. How was he still attacking so ferociously after being hit by that blast of magic?

"Look out!"

Kyoko was suddenly pushed to the side as Reino cast a dark wave of magic towards her. Her head was crushed against a chest she was all too familiar with.

"Kuon?! Why are you here?!"

"I can't let you fight him alone," Kuon replied. They stood to face Reino together who grinned at them.

"Ah, you've finally arrived, Hizuri Kuon," Reino grinned.

"I have," Kuon responded, tightening his grip on his sword.

"I really enjoyed Kyoko's company the last few weeks."

"I'll never let you near her again," Kuon growled.

"Oh? But Kyoko and I are in love, remember?"

Kyoko felt Reino trying to barge into her head and control her. No. She wouldn't let him! Never again!

"Get out of my head!" Kyoko screamed at him. Her inner demons sprung out at Reino and attacked. Reino cried out as the demons encircled him. At the same tome, Kuon cast a bolt of light towards Reino, hitting him in the chest with full force. Reino was blown backwards to the ground and coughed up blood. He tried to raise himself up on a trembling hand as Kyoko and Kuon approached him.

"It's over, Reino," Kuon pointed his sword at him.

"I knew those grudge spirits could be powerful. They were magnificent and beautiful, just like you, Kyoko," Reino coughed, blood dripping from his lip. "However, now that you've shown your special power, it's about time I unleash mine."

Suddenly, Reino howled, and his limbs began to elongate. His face lengthened into a snout, and the rest of his body suddenly started to grow white fur as his body morphed into the body of a humongous, ravenous wolf. His massive jaw dripped with drool, and he had rows of sharp teeth that could rip someone into shreds. His violet eyes flashed with carnal rage before Reino lunged at Kuon who barely blocked the attack and was pushed onto the ground. Reino snapped at Kuon's neck with his sharp canines as Kuon held off the wolf with his sword.

However, seconds later, Reino was thrown off of Kuon. Kuon sat up to see what had happened and was amazed at the sight. Kyoko had transformed into a black dragon. Kuon was embarrassed that he had ever thought that she was a black snake. If Reino's other form was one of the most horrific beasts Kuon had ever seen, Kyoko's dragon form was one of the most beautiful.

Before Kuon knew what was happening, Kyoko surged forward and wrapped her tail around Reino before shooting them off into the sky.

Higher and higher, Kyoko flew as Reino tried to break free of her tight grasp, but it was to no avail. Kyoko had performed this specific maneuver before when protecting a village from a rogue tiger spirit, and she wouldn't fail even as Reino's jaw clamped around her tail. Once Kyoko was sufficiently high enough, she launched a bolt of lightning at Reino and flung him towards the ground with all her strength.

A few seconds after Kyoko had launched into the air, suddenly Kuon was blown backwards by the force of something impacting with the ground. When Kuon stood up and looked inside the crater that had formed, he saw Reino back in his human form, his limbs twisted in ways that told Kuon that almost everything was broken.

"Seems like your power wasn't as great as you thought, Beagle," Kyoko touched down next to Kuon in her human form.

"It's over, Reino," Kuon pointed his sword at the now pathetic-looking Ghost King.

"Then kill me," Reino responded with a grimace. Kuon threw his sword into Reino's chest without a second thought, and Reino's eyes widened in shock before slowly softening

"I'm not afraid of dying, but I hated that pain," Reino said one last time before his eyes closed. A few seconds later, he vanished as his body faded away into dust.

"Is it really over?" Kyoko wondered. She looked around the battlefield to see that the Ghost Kingdom has been quickly outnumbered by the superior Sky Kingdom soldiers. Even Vie Ghoul had been captured already, and a group of Rick's disciples carefully kept watch over them, even if they were already shackled by magical handcuffs.

"It's over, Kyoko," Kuon smiled at her, wrapping her in his arms and spinning her around with joy before bending down to kiss her. Kyoko eagerly reciprocated the kiss, and the kiss quickly grew more and more passionate. It wasn't until the couple heard the sound of someone clearing their throat that they pulled away from each other.

"You two might want to save that for when you're in private. You've gathered quite the audience," Lory said. It seemed that many Sky Kingdom soldiers had surrounded them, sporting varying levels of embarrassment as they watched the couple's passionate kiss. Kyoko and Kuon smiled sheepishly.

"What do we have to do now?" Kuon asked.

"Reino's been defeated by the heroes, Vie Ghoul has been captured, and the rest of the Ghost Kingdom soldiers have surrendered. The war is over now. I think it's about time for a celebration. What about we mark this joyous occasion with a wedding that should have happened a long time ago?" Lory grinned.

...

When Kuon first saw Kyoko in her wedding kimono, he was brought back to their wedding in their hut in the woods. Although her kimono definitely looked like it was meant for a princess with the intricate embroidery and bedazzling, the structure of the dress was exactly the same as her first wedding dress.

Kuon smiled and held out his arm for her to take, and together they walked through the throne room, towards Saena. Once they reached Saena, they both bowed and knelt down. Standing on the side, Hana beamed at them with a basket of flowers in her hand. She had been elated to act as the flower girl in the wedding.

Kuon didn't really pay that much attention during the ceremony itself. If it had been up to him, Kuon wouldn't have seen the need for a ceremony. In Kuon's mind, they were already married, but they were only doing this ceremony so that their marriage would finally be accepted by the world.

Kuon blew through the motions of the ceremony on autopilot but was brought back to reality when he heard everyone clapping around them. He stood up with Kyoko who smiled at him as she took his hands in her own. She stood on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear.

"I, Mogami Kyoko, ask the gods to bear witness. Starting today I will be married to Kuon and will love him with all my heart for all eternity. I will never part from him regardless of fortune and calamity."

"I, Hizuri Kuon, ask the gods to bear witness. Starting today I will be married to Kyoko and will love her with all my heart for all eternity. I will never part from her regardless of fortune and calamity," Kuon whispered back before leaning down to kiss her. As Ren or as Kuon, he knew this woman would always have his heart. Their love was immortal.

* * *

 **Ahhhh! I can't believe it! We're finished with the main story! More than a year later with 55 chapters and over 180,000 words, this fic is finally finished other than a short epilogue that will come out very soon. Thank you for taking part in this amazing journey with me.**

 **Thank you to anyone who has ever followed, favorited, or left a review on this fic! I love how supportive you all have been! This is the last time I'll be answering reviews on this fic.**

 **Tam2013-** I'm glad you liked the twist! I was a little worried that people would think it was too sudden of a twist, but I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for your review!

 **paulagato** \- Good always triumphs in the end! Thank you so much for always being one of my most loyal reviewers!

 **H-Nala** \- Luckily, Kuon was able to get them out of that situation alive, even without there being water! Thank you for reviewing!


End file.
